Yemeni Minister of Information, Muammar al-Eryani, confirmed that the Iranian-backed Houthi militia continues to recruit African migrants and refugees, sending them to open death traps across various battlefronts. He described this as a "war crime and a crime against humanity, a blatant violation of international laws and treaties." Al-Eryani referenced a scene from the funeral of an Ethiopian migrant, broadcasted by the Houthi-run channel "Al-Masirah," in his tweets.
The Yemeni Minister pointed out that the Houthi militia deliberately lures and recruits African refugees and migrants through both incentives and threats, aiming to compensate for their mounting losses due to their military venture in the Marib governorate. He noted the failure of their mobilization and recruitment campaigns due to the reluctance of tribal members to join their ranks.
Al-Eryani called on the international community, the United Nations, human rights organizations, and the International Organization for Migration to condemn the Houthi militia's recruitment of African migrants and refugees for combat. He also urged the prosecution of militia leaders in the International Criminal Court as "war criminals," according to his statement.
Recently, the Houthi militia held the funeral for an Ethiopian refugee who died while fighting alongside them on the Marib frontlines in eastern Yemen. They buried the individual, identified as "Ahmed bin Shafi Sheikh Bashir Lazma," nicknamed "Abu Hussein," in the graves of their fallen fighters in Sana'a.
Recruitment operations by the Houthi militia for African refugees continue, forcibly conscripting them and threatening them with death or imprisonment if they refuse. On March 7, a detention center housing hundreds of migrants in Sana'a, controlled by the Houthis, suffered a fire that resulted in numerous casualties among the migrants, amid reports that the militia was pressuring them to fight on the battlefronts.
