Libya militia attacks amount to war crimes, says watchdog

TRIPOLI // Libya militias that fought a fierce five-week battle for control of Tripoli’s international airport committed “war crimes” against civilians, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.

The UN mission in Libya, UNSMIL, last week reported grave human rights violations during the clashes between mostly Islamist fighters and a nationalist militia.

On August 22, Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn), a mainly Islamist alliance, seized Tripoli airport from the nationalists. Three days later, Libya’s embattled government said Tripoli was in the hands of armed militias.

“Libyan militia forces battling for control of Tripoli and surrounding areas have engaged in attacks on civilians and civilian property that in some cases amount to war crimes,” said HRW.

“The militias have seized people and looted, burned, and otherwise destroyed property,” said the New York-based group.

The watchdog said it documented attacks by both sides but that since Libya Dawn seized the airport, “its forces have committed further violations”.

They included attacks on journalists, government officials and ordinary citizens suspected of siding with the nationalist forces, said HRW.

Prime minister Abdullah Al Thani has accused Libya Dawn fighters of ransacking and torching his home in southern Tripoli as well as the residence of transport minister Abdelkader Mohamed Ahmed.

“All warring parties, as well as the Libyan government, should respect their obligation to protect civilians at all times and to hold their forces accountable when they commit crimes,” said HRW’s Sarah Leah Whitson.

The United Nations estimates that the Tripoli fighting has displaced at least 100,000 people, and another 150,000 have fled the country, including many migrant workers.

Meanwhile, Libya has accused Sudan of flying weapons to “terrorist” groups on its territory and declared Khartoum’s military attache persona non grata, a government statement said.

Khartoum denied the allegation and said it had received no formal notice of the attache’s expulsion.

According to the Libyan statement, a Sudanese aircraft carrying ammunition destined for Libyan armed groups landed in the southern Kufra region on an unspecified date.

The government said the plane had violated its airspace and made an unauthorised landing, describing this as “an attack on [Libya’s] national sovereignty”.

It accused Sudan of interfering in Libyan affairs and “backing terrorist armed groups”.

The Libyan government declared the Sudanese military attache in Tripoli persona non grata and said he must leave the country and return home.

It said that the plane, after landing in Kufra to refuel, headed for Miitiga military airport in Tripoli which is held by mostly Islamist militiamen.

* Agence France-Press