Global outrage has been generated by the deaths of scores of African migrants who were trying to cross from Morocco into Spain.
Migrants, mostly from Sudan, attempted to pass the military border between Melilla, a city in North Africa, and its neighboring countries last Friday(24th June 2022)
On June 24, between 1,300 and 2,000 men—mostly South Sudanese and Sudanese—attempted to scale the 6- to 10-meter chain-link fences dividing Moroccan territory from Spanish territory early in the morning. According to Moroccan officials and several unaffiliated observers, some of the men were armed and aggressive, and people died in a stampede or after falling while scaling the fence. Video footage shown by ADMH in Morocco analyzed by New York Times however show Moroccan security officers using excessive force like beatings, another officer dumping a limp body upon a ground of people. Spanish officers also violently resisted them, costing at least 23 lives in the process.
The director of Walking Borders, Helena Maleno Garzon, reported that a total of 37 persons passed away.
Social media videos depict the victims' piled-up bodies after they were allegedly shot by Spanish police and truncated by Moroccan police.
Human Rights Watch stated today that an independent, impartial investigation is necessary to determine what occurred and who should take responsibility for the deaths of the immigrants.
According to Judith Sunderland, acting deputy director of Human Rights Watch for Europe and Central Asia, "video and photographs show bodies strewn on the ground in pools of blood, Moroccan security forces kicking and beating people, and Spanish Guardia Civil launching teargas at men clinging to fences." In order to deliver justice for those who lost their lives, officials in Spain, Morocco, and the European Union should denounce this violence and ensure thorough, impartial investigations.ne what happened and who is responsible for the deaths of at least 23 African men at the Melilla-Morocco border on June 24, 2022.
The African Union, Michelle Bachelet, organizations in Morocco and Spain, as well as Human Rights Watch, have all called for an investigation. The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, demanded "an immediate investigation" and emphasized the need to "treat all migrants with respect and to prioritize their safety and human rights, while refraining from the use of disproportionate force," as required by international law.
