The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Tripoli

  • Libyan Coastguard intercepts 156 migrants East of Tripoli

    Libya’s Navy said on Thursday that the North African Nation’s Coastguard intercepted 156 migrants on a rubber boat.

    They were intercepted off its Coast East of Tripoli, the latest operation amid a surge in such perilous journeys to Europe.

    The migrants were stopped on Wednesday off the coast of Khoms, the navy said in a statement.

    Read Also:186 Nigerians return from Libya

    Ten children are among the intercepted migrants, who are natives of Sudan, Mali, Ghana, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Cameron, the navy said, adding that they were handed over to the anti-illegal immigration authorities.

    The rescue operation comes two days after a Spanish NGO accused the Libyan coastguard of leaving two women and a child to die at sea after a rescue operation that involved 158 migrants.

    The three migrants were found floating near a wrecked dinghy, only one of whom was alive, the Proactiva Open Arms charity said.

    Following the claims, Libyan navy spokesman Ayoub Qasim issued a Facebook statement, saying the coastguard saves the lives.

    “Over the past years, the coastguard rescued more than 80,000 migrants,’’ he said.

    “All the disasters that have happened have been caused by the human traffickers who only care about profits and the presence of such irresponsible non-governmental organisations in the region,’’ he added.

    Libya descended into chaos in 2011 after its leader Moamer Gaddafi was toppled in an armed revolt and has since become a major transit route for migrants trying to reach Europe by sea.

    Rival armed militias and political bodies have vied for dominance and control of the country’s oil reserves under competing governments, two in Tripoli and one in the eastern city of al-Bayda.

  • …as coastguard rescues 104 migrants east of Tripoli

    The Libyan Coastguard says it recovered 104 people from a rubber boat off the country’s coast, in the latest such rescue as migrants attempt to travel to Europe.

    According to a navy statement, the rescue operation was carried out near the coastal city of al-Khoms, 117 km east of the capital Tripoli.

    Most of the migrants came from Eritrea, with a few from Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Gambia.

    Libya has become a major transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe by sea.

    The country descended into chaos after the overthrow of long-time autocrat Moamer Gaddafi in a 2011 armed revolt.

    The Geneva-based International Organisation for Migration stated that 1,405 people are believed to have died in the Mediterranean in the period from the start of the year until July 1.

  • Italy to deploy 470 troops to tackle traffickers in Niger

    Italy to deploy 470 troops to tackle traffickers in Niger

    Italy aims to deploy up to 470 troops to Niger to help tackle traffickers, the military General Staff said.

    Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on December 24 that some of the 1,400 Italian troops now stationed in Iraq could be transferred to the Sahel region in West Africa, which includes Niger, after victories against Islamist militants in Iraq.

    Gentiloni said the redeployed troops could also help to combat terrorism in the Sahel.

    The military said in a statement that a reconnaissance mission was underway in Niger to help decide the scale of the assistance, which the African country’s government has requested but which still needs to be approved by Italy’s parliament.

    The general staff said if the necessary approval is given, Italy would aim to gradually send up to 470 troops, probably posting an average of 250 over the course of a year.

    Read also: Dogara leads Nigerian delegation  to Italy over Human Trafficking

    “The aim of the mission is to increase the operational capacity of the Niger forces and put them in a position to guarantee stability in the area and fight illegal trafficking of migrants,” the military added.

    Italy’s president dissolved parliament on Thursday ahead of an election due in March, but lawmakers will continue to meet, and could approve Gentiloni’s request to transfer the personnel.

    Italy is especially keen to help tackle the people-smuggling gangs because it has borne the brunt of seaborne illegal migration to Europe from Africa.

    No fewer than 600,000 people have made the perilous journey across the central Mediterranean from Libya in the past four years.

    Arrivals have fallen sharply since officials working for the UN-backed government in Tripoli persuaded smugglers to stop boats leaving and the Libyan coastguard stepped up interceptions at sea.

    (Reuters/NAN)

  • 3250 have been repatriated from Libya – FG

    3250 have been repatriated from Libya – FG

    The Federal Government said 3250 Nigerians have so far been repatriated from Libya in recent times.

    This is even as 300 other Nigerians are to be repatriated from Libya every week.

    Charge d’Affaires of Nigeria in Libya, Mr Illiya Fachano revealed this in an interview and said government continue to make efforts to save Nigerians that are trapped in Libya.

    “We, the embassy of Nigeria in Tripoli, Libya, have been doing our best to register Nigerians.

    “We have visited  the detention camps, and also collaborated with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to repatriate migrants weekly.

    “We also ensure that we are up to date with the number of Nigerians in specific detention camps.

    “I want it to be clear that the mission and Nigerian government have been doing this long before the CNN report.’’

    “We have asked the Nigerian presidency to provide us with an extra airplane to assist with quick repatriation of registered Nigerians who are willing to return.

    “I want the public to know that we have some Nigerians who are not willing to return despite the unfavorable situations and the fact is that we can’t get them on the flight without their consent.

    Fachano said that the  repatriation exercise would wont  be a temporary thing – as he promised it would be a continuous exercise.

    He said that the government would continue to engage the legitimate government in Libya and other stakeholders in addressing the plight of Nigerian migrants in that country.

    Read also: Obasanjo condemns resurgence of slavery in Africa

    The Foreign Ministry has urged citizens to reach the Nigerian Embassy in Libya for assistance through these emergency numbers: +218910144487, +218925099384 and +218917953365.

    “The contact email addresses for the embassy and the ministry are: nigeria@nigeriantripoli.org and help@foreignaffairs.gov.ng.

    The ministry said that the embassy had received requests for intervention from some relations of the victims based in Nigeria through these contacts.

    NAN

  • 124 illegal migrants repatriated from Libya – Official

    124 illegal migrants repatriated from Libya – Official

    Tripoli Illegal Immigration Department says a total of 124 illegal immigrants from Ivory Coast were voluntarily deported on Thursday from the Libya n capital Tripoli.

    “The child Mamani returned to her home in Ivory Coast today, accompanied by 123 other illegal immigrants from Ivory Coast,” Hosni Abu-Ayana, head of the media office of told Xinhua.

    “The migrants returned within the humanitarian voluntary program by the International Organization for Migration in cooperation with the Libyan authorities,” Abu-Ayana added.

    The International Organisation for Migration and the Libyan authorities launched a humanitarian repatriation program to repatriate migrants detained in Libyan shelters in their countries of origin.

    Libya is a major departure point for illegal migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean towards European shores, due to the insecurity and chaos in the North African nation.

    Read Also: Libya deportee goes into labour in Edo

  • Court adjourns trial of Gaddafi’s son to December

    Court adjourns trial of Gaddafi’s son to December

    The son of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appeared in a Tripoli court to face charges of murdering a football player and other crimes before the 2011 revolution that ended his father’s rule.

    The judge adjoined proceedings against Saadi Gaddafi, who was extradited from Niger last year, until Dec. 6 after his attorney asked for more time to examine the case against him and to have access to military prosecutor documents.

    Saadi, dressed in light blue prison garb, sat inside a black caged area of the courtroom.

    In a related development, a Tripoli Court in July sentenced another of Gaddafi’s sons Saif al-Islam and eight other former officials to death for crimes committed during the 2011 uprising against his father, who was later killed by rebels.
    The sentences have not been carried out although the men, including Gaddafi’s ex-spy chief, are in jail.

    Since his capture, Saif had been held by forces in the western city of Zintan by a faction beyond central government control.

    Since Gaddafi’s demise, Libya had fallen into turmoil, with two rival governments and their allied armed factions fighting for control of the country and its oil resources.

    UN talks have so far failed to end the crisis.

  • Massive jailbreak reported in Libyan city

    A massive jail break took place at the Sebha correctional facility, 800 km south of Tripoli, the Libyan capital, an official spokesperson of the local council, Abobker Hanza, said.

    Hanza said all the 170 prisoners in the facility were involved in the prison break, explaining that the incident took place after clashes on Tuesday between inmates turned into a mayhem.

    Hanza, however, said that many of those who escaped had surrendered voluntarily to prison guards on Tuesday evening, while security forces have arrested many others.

    He indicated that many more prisoners were still on the run.

    PANA recalls that an earlier Sebha prison break took place last month when prisoners rioted because of the deteriorating security situation in the city, as unidentified gunmen attacked the prison, killing a policeman and injuring many others.

    Sources say that the Rachada prison in the city of Gharyana, 80 km South of Tripoli, last week recorded its own jail break with 170 illegal immigrants from different African countries involved.