Le Monde: Saudi Arabia uses scorched earth policy in Awamiya

Le Monde: Saudi Arabia uses scorched earth policy in Awamiya



The French newspaper Le Monde reported that the Saudi authorities have resorted to scorched earth policy to stand up to the so-called "Shiite rebels" in the Awamiya area.

The Awamiya, the center of the 2011 revolution in the eastern part of the kingdom, has been evacuated and its inhabitants destroyed.

In mid-August, Saudi security forces regained control of the area, which over the years has become a stronghold of militants, and political activists have mixed with criminals.

The newspaper said that this security operation led to the elimination - after it is too late - the protest movement that shook the province of Saudi Arabia, the minority Shiite, between 2011 and 2012.

She went on to say that the authorities' decision was "hasty", explaining that: "It did not pay much attention to the safety of citizens, who found themselves forced to escape this disaster. The attack ended with the destruction of the historic al-Masoura neighborhood, which is located in one of the forgotten alleys where the rebels are concentrated. "

The newspaper pointed out that the Saudi authorities announced that this region will see a rehabilitation program, aimed at modernizing and strengthening its economic activity.

The economic and religious elites in Qatif, adjacent to Awamiya, welcomed the news.

According to the newspaper, these elites call for a definitive end to armed activities, which sometimes reached the target of some of them.

In contrast, other parties, especially the Shiite opposition in exile, condemned this political maneuver aimed at destroying the opposition forces in the Middle East permanently, under the guise of urban planning, she said.

Ali al-Dhibisi, a human rights activist and opposition activist in Berlin, accused the Saudi government of wanting to make sure there was no new uprising in Qatif.

"All the small streets in Awamiya, where the activists are hiding, have been destroyed," he said. 90 percent of the population was forced to flee, and I am sure that some of them will not be able to return. In fact, what is happening in this region is part of a policy of deliberate demographic change, as the Authority is doing its best to impose its full control over the situation. "

The newspaper pointed out that the "2011 uprising" was launched from Awamiyah, inspired by the Arab Spring revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.

She said the movement had been fueled by a sense of marginalization, which controls the Shiites, in a state based on the sanctification of radical Sunni Islam.

In addition to the obstacles to worship and access to civil services, Shiites suffer from pressures stemming from the need to adapt them to the Wahhabi current, based on convictions and principles fundamentally hostile to the Shiites.

According to the newspaper, because of the brutality of the repression, which killed about twenty people, as well as the policy of calm called by the nation's elders, the revolution was extinguished within a year and a half from the date of outbreak.

However, the intransigence of some of the demonstrators led to the use of armed activity.

According to the newspaper, the death sentences issued against many of the symbols of the revolution, such as Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was executed in January 2016, led to the growing tendency of this movement towards extremism and violence.

In addition, the presence of criminal gangs of arms and drug dealers in the Al-Masoura neighborhood has contributed to the further radicalization of Awamiyah militants.

In addition to shooting at the police, they turned their weapons to prominent figures within the Qatif community, on charges of involvement and alliance with the Saudi authorities.

The paper pointed out that the evacuation and demolition of the walled wall began in May. "In fact, the armed resistance elements, who ambushed the police forces in the neighborhood, forced the Saudi authorities to send reinforcements and armored vehicles at the end of July, not to mention closing all the exits of the city," she said.

Over the course of two weeks, Awamiyah witnessed the explosion of automatic weapons and the spread of the sounds of explosives.

In the same context, defenders of the Saudi Shiite cause said that more than 12 civilians, local and foreign workers, as well as five other Shi'ite gunmen, died in the attack.

For its part, Saudi Interior Ministry expressed regret over the killing of eight policemen and four members of the Saudi special forces.

The newspaper concluded by criticizing the authorities' reported that the implementation of the security operation came with the approval of most of the population, which is scheduled to be extended with huge financial compensation, but the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights denied the information.

In a statement issued in late May, the human rights commissioner accused Saudi Arabia of "forced" evictions and of destroying "cultural heritage" after it had breached its international obligations.

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