Refugee camp massacre: Libyan militia launch racist raid

Published time: February 08, 2012 21:38
Edited time: February 09, 2012 03:34
Huda Bel-Eid, a woman from Tawergha who was shot in the leg, sits in Tripoli Hospital in Libya, February 6, 2012 (Reuters / Ismail Zitouny)

Heavily armed fighters have attacked a camp of about 1,500 refugees on the outskirts of Tripoli, opening fire on its inhabitants. At least six were killed in the incident raising fears that civilians have little protection from militias running amok.

Moreover, the fact that the attack took place just outside the capital itself begs the question of just how much control the interim government actually has over the country.

"Men from Misrata came to the camp [in Janzour district] at 10 o'clock [Monday]. We knew they were from Misrata because it was written all over their cars," camp resident Huda Bel-Eid said at Tripoli Medical Hospital, Al Jazeera reports.

According to various reports between six and twelve people were killed, including children, women and the elderly. The area around the camp was cut off by the attackers to prevent any help reaching the refugees.

Authorities in Janzour say the refugees armed themselves with knives and sticks to resist the attack. But locals and medics receiving the injured say the camp inhabitants were unarmed. Doctors in Central Tripoli hospital have confirmed they have begun receiving bodies from the camp.

Officials from Misrata military council denied any involvement of its troops in the assault, but locals say they have no doubt the gunmen came from Misrata. They are calling for the residents of the refugee camp to be armed in order to defend themselves from the Misrata brigade attacks.

Many observers note the camp had become home to former residents of the notorious Tawergha city and insist the assault was fuelled by racism against the city’s former black population.

Refugees from Tawergha moved to camps on the outskirts of Tripoli after the city was wiped off the map in August 2011 by rebel forces in a heavily coordinated operation with NATO.

Former residents of Tawergha say they are accused of collaborating with Gaddafi and are regularly being mistaken for sub-Saharan African mercenaries who revolutionary fighters claim fought for Gaddafi in the war. Locals are saying this was used a pretext for the ethnic cleansing of the dark-skinned population of Tawergha.

The city was mostly populated with black Libyans and black migrants, a legacy of its 19th-century origins as a transit town in the slave trade. Driving along the road between Misrata and Tawergha one can read slogans like “the brigade [Misrata brigade] for purging slaves and black skin.”

International human rights organizations have previously documented racist crimes by the Misrata brigade as it targeted the black population of Tawergha.

According to reports by independent media, rebel leaders had been threatening Tawergha long before the uprising. The threats included calling “for drastic measures like banning Tawergha natives from ever working, living or sending their children to schools in Misrata.”

But if racism was only latent before the civil war in Libya, with the post-revolutionary chaos in the country hate crimes are easily disguised.

Comments (32)

A.Smith 02.03.2012 20:02

Is there any surprise that Hillary Clinton's, Barack Obama and John McCain's Libya Rebel Al CIAeda 'Friends' are seriously racist butchers of the Libyan immigrants whose numbers were over 1 Million before the West actively worked to execute Gadhafi.

Sadl y, many thousands of the immigrants body's were simply dumped by the friends of Clinton,Obama and McCain directly into the Mediterrean Sea. Sometimes under the guise of a faux story alleging a immigrant ferry sunk killing all on board.

The Jewish/Italian Mafia human trafficking center in Benghazi, Libya is now back in full operation thanks to Hillary Clinton and Ambassador Rice's persuasion to Barack Obama to murder Gadhafi, destroy the Libyan economy and nation.

Funny how the West doesn't mention Gadhafi was the first person on planet earth to issue a international arrest warrant on Osama bin Ladin who was living in Benghazi, Libya in 1995. USA/UK blocked that arrest warrant from being carried out by Interpol. THEN Bin Ladin began blowing up US Embassy's prior to the 9/11 attack. ALL would have been prevented if USA/UK had not blocked that arrest warrant.

OH but French Intelligence Records indicate UK's MI6 had paid Bin Ladin 100,000 sterling to murder Gadhafi and he had failed (Gadhafi's female body guard lept on top of the live grenade thrown at Gadhafi sacrificing her life in the process).

The Berlin Bombing which was blamed on Gadhafi entirely appears to have been a Israeli Mossad False Flag Operation and GOSH it appears the agents involved in that false flag operation were on that Lockerbie jetliner that blew up over Scotland, that also was falsely blamed on Gadhafi.

Gadh afi pushing to nationalise the Libyan Oil Fields, switch to non-US paper dollars for petro-currency and change over to a Gold Bullion backed Dinar standard ALL appear to be major reason why the evil Zionists leading Apartheid Israel and much of the US Gov. went after Gadhafi.

+9

Undo

The Future Light 11.02.2012 00:00

It is true that the western Libya-like gangs are really acting Satan in his fury. However, lest we forget or be diverted from the obvious truth that, the Libyan massacre and economic retrogression, has its primary cause and support from the west. It is the improved western imperial Post-Neo colonialism under implementation, not only in Libya but also in Kenya.  Today the US President Barack Obama wants Kenya to severe diplomatic ties with Libya and freeze Muammar Gaddafi's assets. Jus recently it was British envoy W. Hague cautioning that Kenya’s image at the international community would be tainted if they elect Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto. The country has been surviving under the mercy of these and other conditions by western-politicized organizations like IMF, UN etc,         &n bsp;  &nbs p;   Now, since Kenyans do think and are smart, how do they think Americans will react if Kenyan president or the president’s administration is always telling American politicians and Whitehouse what to do for the Americans?  How do they think Britons will react if their Kenyan president always does the same to the sovereign Britain? Is it not the time Kenyans need to wake up and seek strong leadership which will lead Kenyans in the Russians or Chinese model? Is it not time now for a leadership which will lead Kenyans to break the western chains and seek fair ties with the East?  

+4

Undo

MikeNZ 10.02.2012 04:34

Cats of this World.

Britis h Cat: Almost extinct. Not caught mice since Falklands War.
Japanese Cat: Highly trained mouse catcher. Dead from Fukushima. R.I.P.
Russian Koska. Built like Soviet tank. Ploughs field. Catches none Soviet mice.
American Kitty. Must be black and white. Needs to be gay. High on drugs. Does not catch mice. Slightly radioactive.

Chinese Cat. Does not matter if black or white - as long as catches mouse.


+7

Undo

View all comments (32)
Add comment

By posting your comment, you agree to abide by our Posting rules

Log in to comment in full, or comment anonymously under character-limit restriction.

100 Text

– required fields

Register or

Name

Password

Show password

Register

or Register

Request a new password

Send

or Register

To complete a registration check
your Email:

or Register

A password has been sent to your email address

Edit profile

Name

New password

Retype new password

Current password

Save

Cancel

Follow us