UNITED NATIONS: UN experts say it is “highly probable” that a deadly airstrike on a migrant detention center in Libya was carried out by a fighter jet operated by a government supporting Khalifa Haftar, who launched an offensive in April seeking to capture the capital, Tripoli.
The panel of experts said in a report to the UN Security Council that it “reserves identification of this member state until further physical evidence or imagery emerges to increase attribution confidence levels.”
The July 3 night attack on the detention center in Tajoura near Tripoli killed more than 50 people and injured over 130 others. UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has said the attack could amount to a war crime.
The panel, which monitors sanctions against Libya, said it “continues to investigate the circumstances of the airstrikes.”
The report’s summary and findings on the Tajoura attack were seen late Friday by The Associated Press.
Migrants and asylum seekers “remain vulnerable not only to the effects of the conflict, but to abuse” in government detention centers, including “degrading living conditions, repeated extortion, sexual and other exploitation, and torture,” the report said.
Libya became a major crossing point for migrants to Europe after the overthrow and death of longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, when the North African nation was thrown into chaos, armed militias proliferated and central authority collapsed.
The country was divided, with a weak UN-supported administration in Tripoli overseeing the country’s west and a rival government in the east aligned with the self-styled Libyan National Army led by Haftar, a former Libyan army general. Each side is backed by an array of militias and armed groups fighting over resources and territory.
Haftar launched the surprise military offensive on April 4 aimed at Tripoli, with support from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Russia. But he has faced stiff resistance from fighters aligned with the UN-recognized government, which is aided by Turkey and Qatar.
The attack on Tajoura was one of the deadliest since the conflict began.
The panel said it has “independent evidence from a reliable confidential source that an unknown number of Mirage 2000-9” fighter jets were using the Al-Khadim air base in eastern Libya and the Jufra base in the north-central part of the country at the time of the Tajoura attack.
Haftar’s forces don’t possess such sophisticated aircraft, the panel said.
It said the Mirage 2000-9 can operate at night and deliver precision-guided munitions and missiles.
“Therefore, the panel finds it highly probable that the airstrike was conducted using PGM (precision-guided munitions) at night by a modern FGA (fighter ground attack) aircraft owned and operated by a member state, acting in support of the HAF (Haftar armed forces),” the report said.
While no country has been named, the UAE has a fleet of Mirage 2000-9 fighter jets, which are produced by France’s Dassault Aviation. In November 2017, the UAE armed forces announced plans to upgrade the fleet.
As for Haftar’s offensive, the UN experts said it has stalled reforms and sparked a new phase of instability in Libya.
The experts also said both sides in the conflict have received weapons and military equipment, technical support and “non-Libyan fighters” in violation of a UN arms embargo.
“Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates routinely and sometimes blatantly supplied weapons, with little effort to disguise the source,” the report said. “The panel also identified the presence of Chadian and Sudanese armed groups in support of forces affiliated” to both sides.
But, the panel added, “in reality the impact of the foreign armed groups to outcomes in the conflict was limited.”
“Neither side has the military capability to effectively decide the outcome to their advantage,” the report said. “Consequently, fatalities among armed groups and civilians remain low.”
The Security Council’s 15-member committee monitoring sanctions against Libya is expected to discuss the report at the end of the month, and diplomats said in may be publicly released in December.
UN experts say Libya airstrike likely tied to Haftar allies
UN experts say Libya airstrike likely tied to Haftar allies
- The July 3 night attack on the detention center in Tajoura near Tripoli killed more than 50 people and injured over 130 others
- Libya became a major crossing point for migrants to Europe after the overthrow and death of longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011
Delivery drivers dodge debris to keep Gulf fed under Iranian attacks
- Thousands of couriers on motorcycles have been working full throttle to ensure food, home supplies and whatever else a customer might need is available
- UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan walked with his massive entourage through Dubai Mall pausing for an occasional selfie
DUBAI: As air raid sirens wail and explosions echo off glass skyscrapers, Gulf delivery drivers have emerged as unlikely heroes, providing a lifeline to frightened residents sheltering from Iranian attacks.
Airports, embassies, residential areas and military installations across the region have come under fire from daily salvos of Iranian missiles and drones since the war between the Islamic republic, Israel and the US broke out on Saturday.
While weaving through Gulf metropolizes’ traffic was never entirely safe, delivery drivers now face danger from the skies with the risk of falling debris from drones and interceptors.
Nonetheless, thousands of couriers on motorcycles have been working full throttle to ensure food, home supplies and whatever else a customer might need is available with the tap of an app.
During the war’s first hours, Agyemang Ata was in a mall in Dubai, waiting for an order when the first explosions rang out, but the 27-year-old has no plans to leave.
“My mom, sister and family have been calling me but I told them I am OK, they don’t need to worry about me,” Ata told AFP.
“I will stay here and work. Dubai is a safe place for me.”
To most residents, drivers like Ata were just an anonymous army keeping the hassles of daily life at bay — and to some, another traffic hazard on already busy streets.
Now, however, people are heralding their vital role, with many on social media describing them as “heroes” risking their lives to keep the Gulf running.
Further north in Kuwait, driver Walid Rabie said the fear was constant.
“We carry our lives along with the orders,” he told AFP
At least seven civilians have been killed in the Gulf since Iran began its attacks — many of them foreign laborers, who make up a large part of the region’s workforce.
Washington said six US service members have also been killed, four of them in Kuwait.
‘I have struggled’
The UAE has seen a disproportionate number of attacks, with the Ministry of Defense saying authorities have worked to intercept more than 900 drones and about 200 missiles fired at their territory.
“I’m afraid, I won’t lie,” said Franklin, a delivery driver in Dubai.
The need to earn a living outweighs other anxieties over the war, but maintaining his regular pace has been difficult under the new circumstances, and the number of orders has dropped.
“Before, I used to complete between 10 and 15 orders a day,” he explained. “But since this started, I have struggled to get even eight.”
The life of the drivers cuts a stark contrast to the region’s numerous influencers on social media, who have continued to party during the war, or to the city’s well-heeled expats, some of whom have dropped six figures on chartered flights out of neighboring countries to escape.
In Bahrain, where the sounds of explosions have continued for a sixth day, a foreign worker at a food delivery company said the situation was worrying at first but he has begun to get used to it — especially since he needs the job.
“I go out to work almost every day. I follow the news and hope the crisis will end,” said Ajit Arun, 32.
“We take precautions while driving, especially when the sirens sound.”
Across the Gulf, governments have implored their citizens and residents to avoid posting misinformation about the war and rely on official channels for news.
Others have sought to present an image of normality.
UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan walked with his massive entourage through Dubai Mall pausing for an occasional selfie.
But on the city’s streets, the reality of war weighed heavily, casting questions for some over future plans to stay in the Gulf.
“If things continue like this, I cannot risk my life,” said Franklin. “It would be better for me to return to my country.”
