Tribal Leader Warns of Secret Torture Camps for Migrants in Abyan

A tribal elder in the Ahwar district of Abyan Governorate has issued a stark warning about escalating abuses against detained African migrants, alleging they are held in "secret detention centers" where torture and extortion are rampant. He has called for immediate government and local authority intervention to shut down these facilities and halt the alleged crimes.

The warning comes amidst circulated video footage depicting the torture of detained migrants in the Radhum district of Shabwah Governorate, with perpetrators using the recordings to extort ransoms from the victims' families in their home countries. Sheikh Mahdi Nasser Al-Muhwari stated that outlawed armed groups are operating unofficial detention sites on the outskirts of Ahwar, where migrants, predominantly Africans, are subjected to physical and psychological torture. The objective, he explained, is to extort significant financial ransoms in hard currency from their relatives.

Al-Muhwari further detailed that these groups document the torture sessions and send video recordings to the victims' families abroad to pressure them into paying large sums for their release. He lamented the apparent lack of response from security, military, and local authorities, suggesting that official silence has enabled the continuation of these grave human rights violations.

The situation in Ahwar, according to Al-Muhwari, highlights a severe breakdown in security and administrative order, with state institutions, including the police and local government, largely absent. This security vacuum, he noted, has facilitated the expansion of human trafficking networks, transforming the district into an unsafe environment where residents fear for their own families' safety due to the unchecked activities of these criminal groups.

These urgent warnings follow the recent dissemination of documented footage showing African migrants being tortured while bound within these clandestine locations, sparking widespread anger and concern among local populations. On Sunday, the Bakazm tribes in Ahwar convened an emergency meeting, condemning the torture of African migrants as "heinous crimes."

The tribes have issued an ultimatum to local and security authorities in the governorate, demanding swift action within 48 hours to dismantle the detention facilities and deploy military forces. They have warned that they will intervene, fulfilling their religious and humanitarian duty, if the authorities fail to act, holding the governor and security leadership accountable for any resulting repercussions.