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Foreign jets used in Libyan refugee centre airstrike, claims UN report
Source: The Guardian
Foreign jets used in Libyan refugee centre airstrike, claims UN report
‘Highly probable’ that nation backing Khalifa Haftar operated jets used in July attack
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Wed 6 Nov 2019 21.36 GMT
Last modified on Wed 6 Nov 2019 21.38 GMT
Foreign fighter jets are suspected by United Nations arms experts of launching precision missiles that killed at least 53 refugees housed in a Libyan refugee detention centre near Tripoli in July, one of the worst single atrocities of the Libyan civil war.
The allegations, first published by the BBC, led the former British ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, to call on the UN security council to discuss at ambassadorial level how outside powers are prolonging the conflict in Libya and extending the suffering of the Libyan people. No nation is directly named in the report.
“The only two countries with capacity and motive to mount the strike were the UAE and Egypt,” Millett told the Guardian. “It is clear the finger of blame is being pointed to the UAE. It is time the security council called this out. If this war continues much longer Libya will have become a failed state, and the responsibility will lie with the outside powers.”
He added that Turkey was the third country pouring arms into Libya in support of the UN-backed Government of National Accord which has been under attack in Tripoli from Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces, the Libyan National Army. Libya is subject to a UN arms embargo.
Millett said the coordinates of the detention centre had been given to Haftar’s forces so the strike against the detention centre was either the product of a dreadful accident or a terrible crime.
-snip-
‘Highly probable’ that nation backing Khalifa Haftar operated jets used in July attack
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Wed 6 Nov 2019 21.36 GMT
Last modified on Wed 6 Nov 2019 21.38 GMT
Foreign fighter jets are suspected by United Nations arms experts of launching precision missiles that killed at least 53 refugees housed in a Libyan refugee detention centre near Tripoli in July, one of the worst single atrocities of the Libyan civil war.
The allegations, first published by the BBC, led the former British ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, to call on the UN security council to discuss at ambassadorial level how outside powers are prolonging the conflict in Libya and extending the suffering of the Libyan people. No nation is directly named in the report.
“The only two countries with capacity and motive to mount the strike were the UAE and Egypt,” Millett told the Guardian. “It is clear the finger of blame is being pointed to the UAE. It is time the security council called this out. If this war continues much longer Libya will have become a failed state, and the responsibility will lie with the outside powers.”
He added that Turkey was the third country pouring arms into Libya in support of the UN-backed Government of National Accord which has been under attack in Tripoli from Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces, the Libyan National Army. Libya is subject to a UN arms embargo.
Millett said the coordinates of the detention centre had been given to Haftar’s forces so the strike against the detention centre was either the product of a dreadful accident or a terrible crime.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/06/foreign-jets-used-in-libyan-refugee-centre-airstrike-claims-un-report
______________________________________________________________________
Libya migrant attack: UN investigators suspect foreign jet bombed centre
By Manisha Ganguly
BBC Arabic
6 November 2019
A deadly missile strike on a migrant detention centre in Libya was carried out by a fighter plane from a foreign country, according to a confidential UN investigation seen by BBC Arabic.
No country is named but a source with knowledge of the inquiry said it was focused on the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE did not comment when approached by the BBC.
July's attack killed 53 migrants and injured 130, and was described as a potential war crime by a UN official.
Most of those killed at the Tajoura migrant detention centre, east of the capital, Tripoli, are believed to have been sub-Saharan Africans attempting to reach Europe from Libya.
-snip-
By Manisha Ganguly
BBC Arabic
6 November 2019
A deadly missile strike on a migrant detention centre in Libya was carried out by a fighter plane from a foreign country, according to a confidential UN investigation seen by BBC Arabic.
No country is named but a source with knowledge of the inquiry said it was focused on the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE did not comment when approached by the BBC.
July's attack killed 53 migrants and injured 130, and was described as a potential war crime by a UN official.
Most of those killed at the Tajoura migrant detention centre, east of the capital, Tripoli, are believed to have been sub-Saharan Africans attempting to reach Europe from Libya.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50302602