New York (United Nations), 30 June 2022 (SPS) - Morocco and Spain resorted Friday to "excessive use of force" against sub-Saharan migrants who wanted to enter Melilla, killing at least 23 of them, the spokesman of the United Nations, Stephane Dujarric, in a condemnation, saying that he was "shocked."
In his daily press briefing, Dujarric said "I also want to say how… shocked we were at the images of the violence that we saw at the border between Morocco and Spain in North Africa over the weekend, which (...) resulted in the deaths of dozens of human beings, of asylum seekers, of migrants."
"It is unacceptable" and this tragedy "needs to be investigated," the UN spokesperson said, adding that "the excessive use of force" was seen by the United Nations "on both sides of the border."
"People who are on the move have human rights, and those need to be respected, and we're seeing them all too often disrespected," Stephane Dujarric stressed.
On Monday, Dujarric said "we very much deplore this tragic incident and the loss of life."
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