1 July 2011
Source: U.N. News Center
Humanitarian needs in the Nafusa mountains in western Libya remain critical, United Nations agencies reported today at the end of their first mission to the area, where they made an assessment of safety and access to civilians who require emergency assistance.
“The humanitarian situation in the Nafusa mountains remains a top concern,” Panos Moumtzis, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya. “It remains imperative for UN humanitarian organisations to have continued access to the Nafusa mountains to conduct in-depth assessment missions to accurately and impartially determine the needs of the affected population and respond accordingly,” he added.
The UN team visited the towns of Wazin and Nalut yesterday and Jadu and Zintan today, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a press release.
The conflict in Libya has spread to several towns in the Nafusa mountains, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) reported that more than 100,000 people have fled the fighting in the area since Libya descended into conflict four months ago. They remain internally displaced, while more than 64,000 others have sought refuge in neighbouring Tunisia.
The inter-agency mission, which was comprised of OCHA, UNHCR, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP), saw the widespread destruction of property in the border town of Wazin, from where the vast majority of the population had fled due to persistent shelling.
In Nalut and other areas, the mission observed limited power and water supplies and heard accounts from the local community of dwindling food supplies, lack of cash, jobs and functioning markets.
“Food needs for the Nafusa mountains remain serious,” said Ussama Osman of WFP. “The vast majority of the affected population now relies on food assistance,” he said, adding that WFP will continue to provide food aid to those who need it most in the area.
UNICEF voiced concern over the humanitarian situation facing children in the Nafusa mountains, particularly health, access to clean water, protection and education. The agency said it will ensure that a vaccination campaign is carried out.
UNHCR is drawing up future repatriation plans for the eventual voluntary return of the thousands of Libyan refugees when security conditions permit.
Showing posts with label Gaddafi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gaddafi. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Libyans ‘executed’ for shunning Gaddafi rally: relative
June 27, 2011
Source: Shabab Libya
BENGHAZI, Libya — Hours after thousands packed Tripoli’s Green Square cheering for Moamer Kadhafi, Mohammed said the still warm body of his nephew was dumped outside the family home with two bullets in his head.
Mohammed told AFP why he is certain 30-year-old’s Ahmed’s fate was sealed while green flags were waving on the other side of the capital and as Kadhafi dished out threats against Europe, NATO and Libyan “traitors” on Friday.
Ahmed’s execution, he said, was punishment for his family’s refusal to take part in the rally, a vital show of strength by the Libyan leader amid a five-month-long uprising that has pushed the regime to the brink of collapse.
“Four or five days ago a member of one of Kadhafi’s revolutionary committees approached my brother’s family in Tripoli,” the 50-something Mohammed told AFP on Saturday, his voice ringing with anger and mourning.
“They told him: ‘We have your son, he is being held at Abu Salim prison. If your family does not come out to demonstrate on Friday you will never see your son again’.”
With an extended clan of around 50 adult males alone, securing the family’s attendance would have helped Kadhafi reach his aim of putting a million people on the streets to undermine rebel morale.
But angry at the thought that Ahmed may already be dead and hearing that many neighbours had received similar threats, his family refused to go.
“My brother told them ‘whatever happens is going to happen, we are not going to go out to demonstrate for Kadhafi’,” Mohammed said, holding his head in his hands.
“We did not think it was possible that he (Ahmed) was still alive, we thought the guy was just making threats.”
Ahmed went missing in Tripoli a few days after the uprising against Kadhafi began in February, as Tripoli’s youth burned images of the self-styled “leader of the revolution” and stormed a state-run television station.
When Kadhafi hit back and Ahmed disappeared, the family assumed he had been shot by soldiers, mercenaries or one of Kadhafi’s feared security services.
They now believe he was arrested on February 22 and taken to the notorious Abu Salim prison with many others. Either way, the next time the family saw Ahmed was on the doorstep of their home on Saturday.
“The bullet wounds were fresh. He was shot this morning, even the blood was still warm,” Mohammed said from the safety of Benghazi, after reaching his brother using clandestine communications earlier in the day.
Mohammed said he knows of at least two other families in their neighbourhood of Tripoli who also received their sons’ bodies on Saturday morning. Both had also refused to attend the Kadhafi rally.
It was not possible to fully corroborate Mohammed’s account of events because reporting is severely restricted in areas under Kadhafi’s control.
However, groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported evidence of extrajudicial executions by government forces across the country.
Reports have also surfaced about such threats and executions inside Tripoli, but international human rights groups have no presence in the capital and have not been able to fully investigate.
A representative for the rebel National Transitional Council in London on June 26 claimed there were “confirmed reports” of 187 prisoners being killed at Abu Salim prison over the course of two days earlier last month.
Because of petrol shortages in Tripoli, Mohammed said relatives there planned to walk around four or five kilometres (about three miles) on Saturday to be able to bury Ahmed.
“There is nothing but air and God in Tripoli,” he said. “You are either with Kadhafi or you starve.”
“I just want the world to know how Kadhafi works,” added Mohammed, explaining his reasons for speaking out. Despite the dangers “we are obliged to put this out in the open,” he said.
Source- Andrew Beatty for AFP
Source: Shabab Libya
BENGHAZI, Libya — Hours after thousands packed Tripoli’s Green Square cheering for Moamer Kadhafi, Mohammed said the still warm body of his nephew was dumped outside the family home with two bullets in his head.
Mohammed told AFP why he is certain 30-year-old’s Ahmed’s fate was sealed while green flags were waving on the other side of the capital and as Kadhafi dished out threats against Europe, NATO and Libyan “traitors” on Friday.
Ahmed’s execution, he said, was punishment for his family’s refusal to take part in the rally, a vital show of strength by the Libyan leader amid a five-month-long uprising that has pushed the regime to the brink of collapse.
“Four or five days ago a member of one of Kadhafi’s revolutionary committees approached my brother’s family in Tripoli,” the 50-something Mohammed told AFP on Saturday, his voice ringing with anger and mourning.
“They told him: ‘We have your son, he is being held at Abu Salim prison. If your family does not come out to demonstrate on Friday you will never see your son again’.”
With an extended clan of around 50 adult males alone, securing the family’s attendance would have helped Kadhafi reach his aim of putting a million people on the streets to undermine rebel morale.
But angry at the thought that Ahmed may already be dead and hearing that many neighbours had received similar threats, his family refused to go.
“My brother told them ‘whatever happens is going to happen, we are not going to go out to demonstrate for Kadhafi’,” Mohammed said, holding his head in his hands.
“We did not think it was possible that he (Ahmed) was still alive, we thought the guy was just making threats.”
Ahmed went missing in Tripoli a few days after the uprising against Kadhafi began in February, as Tripoli’s youth burned images of the self-styled “leader of the revolution” and stormed a state-run television station.
When Kadhafi hit back and Ahmed disappeared, the family assumed he had been shot by soldiers, mercenaries or one of Kadhafi’s feared security services.
They now believe he was arrested on February 22 and taken to the notorious Abu Salim prison with many others. Either way, the next time the family saw Ahmed was on the doorstep of their home on Saturday.
“The bullet wounds were fresh. He was shot this morning, even the blood was still warm,” Mohammed said from the safety of Benghazi, after reaching his brother using clandestine communications earlier in the day.
Mohammed said he knows of at least two other families in their neighbourhood of Tripoli who also received their sons’ bodies on Saturday morning. Both had also refused to attend the Kadhafi rally.
It was not possible to fully corroborate Mohammed’s account of events because reporting is severely restricted in areas under Kadhafi’s control.
However, groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported evidence of extrajudicial executions by government forces across the country.
Reports have also surfaced about such threats and executions inside Tripoli, but international human rights groups have no presence in the capital and have not been able to fully investigate.
A representative for the rebel National Transitional Council in London on June 26 claimed there were “confirmed reports” of 187 prisoners being killed at Abu Salim prison over the course of two days earlier last month.
Because of petrol shortages in Tripoli, Mohammed said relatives there planned to walk around four or five kilometres (about three miles) on Saturday to be able to bury Ahmed.
“There is nothing but air and God in Tripoli,” he said. “You are either with Kadhafi or you starve.”
“I just want the world to know how Kadhafi works,” added Mohammed, explaining his reasons for speaking out. Despite the dangers “we are obliged to put this out in the open,” he said.
Source- Andrew Beatty for AFP
Monday, June 27, 2011
ICC issues Gaddafi arrest warrant
June 27, 2011
Posted in News, Week Commencing: June 27, 2011
Source: shabablibya.org
Libyan leader, his second-eldest son and his intelligence chief indicted for crimes against humanity.
ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo declared there would be “no impunity” for regime officials in Libya [REUTERS]
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and two of his confidants, citing evidence of crimes against humanity committed against opponents of the Libyan regime.
Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng announced the decision on behalf of a three-judge panel in The Hague, where the Court is based, saying the warrants were meant to force Gaddafi, his son and his intelligence chief to appear before the court and prevent the possibility of a cover-up.
It was the second time in the ICC’s nine-year history that it has issued an arrest warrant for a sitting head of state. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2009; it has yet to be enforced.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, submitted a 74-page dossier of evidence to the panel on May 16, requesting arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his second-eldest son, Saif al-Islam, and his intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi.
The Court’s decision coincides with the 100th day of NATO operations in Libya. International military intervention succeeded in turning back Gaddafi’s advance on rebel-held cities, but opposition forces have made few advances since air strikes began on March 19.
Gaddafi has refused calls to step aside and has issued defiant video and audio messages from undisclosed locations, calling the intervention a “crusade” against his country and an attempt by the West to recolonise Libya. He is believed to still be in Libya, along with Saif al-Islam and Abdullah Senussi.
Ocampo had sought indictments for all three on charges of crimes against humanity. He alleged that the three met and planned a brutal crackdown against protesters who took to Libya’s streets in mid-February, emboldened by uprisings in nearby neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt.
Gaddafi and Senussi personally issued orders to attack protesters, and Saif al-Islam helped organise the recruitment of mercenaries to put down what became an armed rebellion based out of the country’s east, Ocampo said.
Security forces and mercenaries attacked civilians in their homes, used heavy weaponry on funeral processions, and set up snipers to shoot at worshippers leaving mosques, he said.
Ability to enforce warrant is unclear
Ocampo’s investigation focused on incidents in Benghazi, Misurata and Tripoli from February 15-20. Benghazi successfully overthrew government control in mid-February, while Misurata held out against an oftentimes indiscriminate attack by regime troops for months, only breaking out of its siege in May.
Gaddafi’s security forces successfully stifled dissent in Tripoli, the capital, but unrest in the form of enormous petrol-line queues, sporadic demonstrations and occasional night-time assassinations has begun to grow.
Thousands have so far died in the fighting, while around 650,000 others have fled the country. Another 243,000 Libyans have been displaced internally, according to figures from the United Nations.
The UN Security Council referred the Libyan conflict to the ICC on February 26, and Ocampo launched his investigation five days later.
It’s unclear what practical effect the arrest warrant will have on the three men. Gaddafi has made no public indication he is willing to give up power, and the warrant against Bashir seems to have little chance of being enforced: Bashir has travelled to Qatar, Chad and Egypt without incident.
Source Al Jazeera
Posted in News, Week Commencing: June 27, 2011
Source: shabablibya.org
Libyan leader, his second-eldest son and his intelligence chief indicted for crimes against humanity.
ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo declared there would be “no impunity” for regime officials in Libya [REUTERS]
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and two of his confidants, citing evidence of crimes against humanity committed against opponents of the Libyan regime.
Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng announced the decision on behalf of a three-judge panel in The Hague, where the Court is based, saying the warrants were meant to force Gaddafi, his son and his intelligence chief to appear before the court and prevent the possibility of a cover-up.
It was the second time in the ICC’s nine-year history that it has issued an arrest warrant for a sitting head of state. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2009; it has yet to be enforced.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, submitted a 74-page dossier of evidence to the panel on May 16, requesting arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his second-eldest son, Saif al-Islam, and his intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi.
The Court’s decision coincides with the 100th day of NATO operations in Libya. International military intervention succeeded in turning back Gaddafi’s advance on rebel-held cities, but opposition forces have made few advances since air strikes began on March 19.
Gaddafi has refused calls to step aside and has issued defiant video and audio messages from undisclosed locations, calling the intervention a “crusade” against his country and an attempt by the West to recolonise Libya. He is believed to still be in Libya, along with Saif al-Islam and Abdullah Senussi.
Ocampo had sought indictments for all three on charges of crimes against humanity. He alleged that the three met and planned a brutal crackdown against protesters who took to Libya’s streets in mid-February, emboldened by uprisings in nearby neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt.
Gaddafi and Senussi personally issued orders to attack protesters, and Saif al-Islam helped organise the recruitment of mercenaries to put down what became an armed rebellion based out of the country’s east, Ocampo said.
Security forces and mercenaries attacked civilians in their homes, used heavy weaponry on funeral processions, and set up snipers to shoot at worshippers leaving mosques, he said.
Ability to enforce warrant is unclear
Ocampo’s investigation focused on incidents in Benghazi, Misurata and Tripoli from February 15-20. Benghazi successfully overthrew government control in mid-February, while Misurata held out against an oftentimes indiscriminate attack by regime troops for months, only breaking out of its siege in May.
Gaddafi’s security forces successfully stifled dissent in Tripoli, the capital, but unrest in the form of enormous petrol-line queues, sporadic demonstrations and occasional night-time assassinations has begun to grow.
Thousands have so far died in the fighting, while around 650,000 others have fled the country. Another 243,000 Libyans have been displaced internally, according to figures from the United Nations.
The UN Security Council referred the Libyan conflict to the ICC on February 26, and Ocampo launched his investigation five days later.
It’s unclear what practical effect the arrest warrant will have on the three men. Gaddafi has made no public indication he is willing to give up power, and the warrant against Bashir seems to have little chance of being enforced: Bashir has travelled to Qatar, Chad and Egypt without incident.
Source Al Jazeera
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