The Ministry of Fisheries condemns the ongoing Eritrean assaults on Yemeni fishermen

The Yemeni Ministry of Fisheries condemned the assault on a Yemeni fisherman as well as the detention of hundreds of other Yemeni fishermen in Eritrean jails and the seizure of their boats and gear.

In a statement, the Ministry also voiced its outrage over the different forms of torture meted out to the fishermen by Eritrean forces during a fishing trip in Yemeni territorial waters.

The Ministry also regarded the killing of the fisherman Nusi (who hailed from the Wajhah region in Dhubab) by Eritrean forces’ fire last Thursday while he was on a fishing excursion in Yemeni territorial waters a crime against humanity that is part of a series of crimes committed against Yemeni fishermen.

The maritime piracy by Eritrea and its blatant assaults on Yemeni fishermen, which occur virtually every day, constitute a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity, according to the Ministry.

It also lambasted human rights organizations and the international community for remaining silent about the continued murder and kidnapping of Yemeni fishermen within Yemen’s regional borders.

In its statement, the Ministry urged the international community and human rights organizations to take action to put an end to the ongoing crimes of Yemeni fishermen and asked that Eritrea respect maritime interests in international waters by ceasing its violations against fishermen.

The statement emphasized that Yemen will defend its people and protect its territorial waters while also urging the international community to take a firm and explicit stance to hold Eritrean authorities accountable for their aggressive actions against Yemeni fishermen in territorial waters.