African, Syrian migrants in crosshairs of Libya’s warTRIPOLI, GENEVA: They trekked through the Sahara in hope of crossing the Mediterranean to a better life in Europe — but instead ended up in squalid detention centers and are now engulfed by war. Thousands of African and Syrian migrants and refugees are trapped in Tripoli as a battle for the city draws closer. They are crammed into disused warehouses, hangars and prisons where armed groups with no experience of handling refugees guard them, say witnesses and rights reports. It cites unconfirmed reports that some were coerced last year into fighting in Tajoura, just east of Tripoli, which is controlled by pro-militant armed groups. According to one UN report last December, migrants and refugees in Libya suffer a “terrible litany of violations” by a combination of state officials, armed groups and traffickers.

Source: Ethiopian News April 11, 2019 19:07 UTC