Following the death of 23 persons, the head of the African Union Commission expressed dismay at the “violent and degrading” treatment of African migrants seeking to enter the Spain-Morocco border and demanded an investigation.
On Friday, over 2,000 migrants invaded the tightly guarded border between the Spanish outpost of Melilla and the Moroccan region of Nador.
According to Moroccan authorities, the ensuing clash resulted in at least 23 migrant deaths and 140 injuries to police officers. The number of people killed in such attempts to cross the border at Melilla was at its highest in years.
“I express my deep shock and concern at the violent and degrading treatment of African migrants attempting to cross an international border from Morocco into Spain,” AU Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said in a statement on Twitter late Sunday.
“I call for an immediate investigation into the matter and remind all countries of their obligations under international law to treat all migrants with dignity and to prioritise their safety and human rights, while refraining from the use of excessive force”.
Martin Kimani, Kenya’s ambassador to the UN, announced that the UN Security Council would meet behind closed doors on Monday to discuss the brutality that African migrants experience in Melilla.
He said that the conference was convened by Kenya, Gabon, and Ghana, the African non-permanent members of the Security Council.
Kimani stated on Twitter, “Migrants are Migrants: whether from Africa or Europe, they do not deserve to be brutalized in this way.
Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres, said at a routine press conference: “We very much condemn this unfortunate tragedy and the loss of life.”