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They fled their homelands to escape crises, dreaming of a better future, fully aware that their journey might not end in happiness. Yet, they continue to try.

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These are African migrants who left their countries, hoping to cross routes that for some lead to Europe. However, Yemen, which was once considered a transit point toward their desired destination, has turned into a death trap, as they were seized by Houthi militias and turned into fuel for a war they never chose.

This is the summary of a new report by the Yemen Organization for Monitoring Organized Crime and Money Laundering (P.T.O.C), which highlights Houthi violations against African migrants and their forced recruitment.

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The report, titled “The African Rebellion Against the Houthis”, provides detailed information about Houthi-designated camps for training and recruiting African migrants, most notably the Mosque of the Martyrs in Sanaa.

According to the report, the Houthi militias have established four new military training centers for African migrants, under the supervision of senior group leaders. Among these camps, the one in Bajil, Hodeida Governorate, is overseen by Yusuf Al-Madani; Al-Jawf is under the supervision of Badr Bazaraa; Saada is managed by Mutlaq Al-Marani, and Hajjah by Abdullah Al-Tawous.

The report also lists 15 names, starting with “Tagu Sharif” and ending with “Mohamed Saleh Ibrahim Saeed,” accused of smuggling weapons across the Red Sea for Iran’s proxies in Yemen and the Horn of Africa.

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Rebellion at the Mosque of the Martyrs

The report highlights that one of the most prominent camps established by the Houthis for African migrants is the Mosque of the Martyrs in Bab Al-Yaman, Sanaa. It is here that those recruited are indoctrinated through meticulously designed sectarian courses.

The militias transformed the mosque into an open camp for recruitment and training. During the nights of Ramadan in 2023, they gathered a group of 200 migrants from various African nationalities.

By mid-2023, a large number of African children in Sanaa were also subjected to sectarian teachings and training at this mosque before being sent to the frontlines to fight in the Houthi ranks.

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The report further states that on August 4, 2023, the Houthis organized a cultural course for the third group of 50 African migrants, spread across the first floor and ground floor of the Mosque of the Martyrs.

Rebellion

The report revealed that some African groups arriving at the mosque had recently rebelled and refused the orders of the Houthi militias, protesting against the ongoing violations and mistreatment they face. This led the militias to suppress them, resulting in the death of one migrant and the injury of several others.

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It was also noted that the Houthi militias provide military training to African migrants as part of what they call the “naval forces”, which includes swimming over distances of 4 to 5 kilometers in exchange for a monthly salary of 500 dollars.

The report specified that after completing this training, the Houthi chief of staff, Hashim al-Ghamari, issued instructions to summon these individuals to Sana’a to be sent to the Martyrs’ Mosque, where they were subjected to sectarian cultural courses for about a month.

It was explained that this group of migrants had faced racist treatment by the Houthis at the Martyrs’ Mosque, which led them to rebel against the militias. In response, the militias sent a force to suppress them under the pretext of “riot control”, away from the media and human rights organizations.

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The report also indicates that a verbal altercation took place between the Houthi militia commander and the supervisor of the African group, which led to the assassination of the supervisor, Mohamed Ali Mohamed Alousen, nicknamed “Abu Mohandis”, who was active in recruitment and the smuggling of weapons from the Horn of Africa to Yemen’s shores.

Training Programs

The report revealed that the Houthi militias launched a special program to recruit African migrants under the name “Al-Aqsa Flood”, from which the first batch of 220 migrants graduated in November 2024.

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It was noted that since the beginning of 2024, the militias have arrested over 3480 African migrants in Saada, transferred them to Sana’a, and forced them to join military training camps or undergo forced relocation.

They also exploited them logistically and for propaganda purposes by using them to transport weapons, dig trenches, build fortifications, and organize funerals for slain fighters to encourage more to join their ranks.

According to the report, the Houthi militias committed serious crimes against those who refused recruitment, including sexual and physical violence, enforced disappearances, torture, and rape, such as the incident in 2021, which resulted in more than 60 migrant deaths in a detention center in Sana’a, an event that shocked the world.

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The previous year, the Houthi militias forcibly expelled thousands of Ethiopian migrants from northern Yemen, firing mortars and rockets, which resulted in numerous casualties.

Recommendations and Demands

The report calls for international sanctions against Houthi leaders involved in the exploitation of migrants and urges international support to stop the inhumane practices of the Houthis.

It also emphasizes the need to monitor and record all the horrific violations committed by the Houthi militias against migrants, prepare a blacklist of all leaders involved in these violations, hold them accountable, and support efforts to document these violations and present them to the Security Council and international bodies.

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The report recommends the establishment of safe humanitarian corridors to protect African migrants and ensure their access to safe areas, as well as increasing support for international organizations to provide protection and healthcare for migrants.

It also stresses the importance of supporting the legitimate Yemeni government and Yemeni coast guard in combating illegal immigration from the Horn of Africa to Yemen, due to the security, economic, and social risks it poses to Yemen and the region.

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