Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Saudi police in Riyadh clash with migrant workers

(Nov 12, 2013, (BBC))--At least two people have been killed and scores wounded as Saudi police clashed with protesting foreign workers in a district of the capital, Riyadh. A police statement said hundreds of people were arrested in the Manfuhah neighbourhood.

Later on Sunday, thousands of mostly African workers gathered in the capital to prepare for repatriation. Last week police rounded up thousands of migrant workers after an amnesty linked to new employment rules expired.

Yemenis return
One of the two people killed was a Saudi while the other was unidentified, police said. About 70 others were injured and there were some 560 arrests, officials added. However, Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Minister Tedros Adhanom said he had information that three Ethiopian citizens had been killed, one last Tuesday and two in the latest clashes.

He said Addis Ababa had formally complained to Riyadh. "This is unacceptable. We call on the Saudi government to investigate this issue seriously. We are also happy to take our citizens, who should be treated with dignity while they are there," he said. Police said they intervened on Saturday after foreign workers in the Manfuhah district rioted, attacking Saudi and other foreign residents with rocks and knives. Read more from BBC »

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