A Call for Disclosing the Fate of the Disappeared and Holding the Warring Parties Accountable for Ongoing Violations
Mwatana for Human Rights stated today, on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, which is observed annually on August 30, that the warring parties in Yemen must take effective and real steps to end the suffering of thousands of families affected by enforced disappearances. They should immediately cease further violations, disclose the fate of the disappeared, hold the perpetrators accountable, and provide justice for the victims.
Mwatana noted that since the early moments of the conflict in Yemen, the warring parties have consistently committed enforced disappearances against hundreds of individuals, in blatant violation of all national, international written, and customary laws that criminalize such acts. Mwatana for Human Rights documented over 1,806 incidents of enforced disappearances from August 2015 to June 2024, committed by various warring parties in Yemen from June 2011 to June 2024. The Houthis lead the list with 760 incidents, followed by the Southern Transitional Council with 549 incidents, and the internationally recognized Yemeni government with 361 incidents. Meanwhile, the Saudi/UEA-led coalition is responsible for 81 incidents, the joint forces for 21 incidents, terrorist organizations for 14 incidents, Eritrean forces for 19 incidents, and the United States for one incident.
Radhya al-Mutawakel, Chairperson of Mwatana for Human Rights, stated, "Thousands of Yemeni families live in constant anxiety and a blind maze of questions and possibilities about the fate of their loved ones who have been forcibly disappeared, amid complete disregard from the parties for their suffering and ongoing efforts to perpetuate this suffering by committing further violations without deterrent."
Al-Mutawakel added, "The persistence in committing the crime of enforced disappearance is not an exception imposed by the current conflict and its conditions, but rather, in many respects, an extension of the repressive behavior that successive authorities in Yemen have practiced for over half a century. However, the current conflict has created a fertile environment where the cases of enforced disappearances committed by the parties have reached unprecedented levels. This makes taking effective steps to put an end to them an urgent necessity that cannot be delayed or ignored."
Enforced disappearance constitutes a severe violation under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and under certain circumstances, it amounts to crimes against humanity. The direct victims of enforced disappearances are part of a broader chain of victims defined by international law on enforced disappearances, including the disappeared person's family, friends, lawyers, activists, and the community as a whole, due to the wide-reaching negative impacts on those surrounding the victims and the environment in which the violations occur.
Mwatana called on all conflict parties to adhere to the rules and principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, to immediately stop committing further acts of enforced disappearance, to disclose the fate of the forcibly disappeared, to hold those involved in committing this crime accountable, and to take effective measures to provide justice and reparation to the victims.
Mwatana reiterated its call to the international community to support peace efforts in Yemen and to establish an independent international investigative mechanism with a criminal focus to investigate violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including the crime of enforced disappearance.
