BENGHAZI, Libya: Libya’s UN-backed government in Tripoli has condemned attacks against hundreds of displaced black Libyans known as Tawergha who were still stranded in a camp on Monday after militiamen prevented them from returning home.
In a statement late Sunday, it said it is still working to ensure that the hundreds of families taking refuge in a camp near the town of Bani Walid can return to their home city, also known as Tawergha.
Witnesses reported that the Tawergha, who were due to return on Feb. 1 under an agreement with the neighboring city of Misrata, were barred from entry by militias who fired in the air and even shot up some cars.
“Yesterday evening, an armed group attacked the camp and drove the families back while shooting in the air, robbing cars and an ambulance,” said Naser Alwafi, a Tawergha resident and eyewitness. “When some of Tawergha youth tried to stop them, the militias targeted them directly, injuring many and damaging some of the cars.”
Misrata militiamen blame the Tawergha for siding with Libya’s longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi during the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed him. The Tawergha have been living in camps and makeshift housing across Libya since then, facing threats and extortion.
Libya was plunged into chaos after the uprising, and today is split between two governments, each of which relies on myriad militias.
In December, the Tripoli government said Tawergha families would be able to return to their hometown in February following a reconciliation deal. The UN has called for the deal to be implemented.
Tawergha was used as a staging ground for attacks on Misrata during the uprising. Anti-Qaddafi militias, mainly from Misrata, later drove out its residents, believing they had aided Qaddafi’s forces. The town has been largely deserted since then.
Human Rights Watch estimates that about 40,000 have been displaced from the town.
On Wednesday, the municipal council of Misrata called on the Tripoli government to postpone its decision to allow Tawergha residents to return, saying escalations by unnamed parties had disrupted security arrangements. The government said it was looking into the issue and urged parties to the agreement to coordinate with the relevant authorities to ensure the safe return of Tawergha’s residents.
Libya condemns militia attacks against Tawergha minority
Libya condemns militia attacks against Tawergha minority
Israeli forces detonate house of detainee Abu Al-Rab near Jenin
- Abu Al-Rab family received a demolition notice in January
LONDON: Israeli forces detonated a house on Wednesday in the Palestinian town of Qabatiya, located south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.
The house belonged to the detainee Ahmed Abu Al-Rab in Qabatiya, according to Wafa news agency.
Israeli forces used explosives to demolish the house, causing damage to several neighboring homes and forcing multiple families to evacuate their residences in the area before the detonation.
The Abu Al-Rab family received a demolition notice in January. Overnight, Israeli forces raided several houses in Qabatiya, arresting multiple individuals before carrying out the demolition, the Wafa added.
It has now been almost a year since Israel launched a military campaign in the Jenin Governorate in retaliation for the bombing of empty buses in Tel Aviv, allegedly carried out by a Palestinian from the area last February. The campaign resulted in the deaths of over 60 Palestinians and the demolition of more than 600 houses, displacing 22,000 people.
