Following 'Ordeal' in North Africa Gambian Evacuees Allege Libyan Brutality

The Independent (Banjul)

October 30, 2000 

Lamin M. Dibba
Banjul 

Gambians recently evacuated from Libya have disclosed to The Independent that Libyans in the presence of that country's police 'beat' and slaughtered' black Africans after a clash with Nigerian immigrants.

Kemo Jatta a resident of Brikama who left The Gambia with his family since 1975 said at Crikaras and Zawuya Libyans in the presence of the police pulled own blacks from vehicles at check points and in the streets and 'beat them to death and burnt them to ashes'.

Mr. Jatta said one Alagi Sanneh a Gambian was stabbed by a Libyan in the presence of a group of Libyan police officers 'who only told him to go to the hospital'.

He disclosed that at Zawuya a Sudanese national was 'slaughtered' while his wife and children were burnt to death. He added that in a separate incident 40 Libyans attacked one Abdoulie Sonko a Gambian from Niumi Berending. According to him Abdoulie was nearly beaten to death but fortunately for him, he escaped through the window of the house he was living in at the time.

When asked what the Gambian consul in Libya was doing in the midst of all these alleged attacks Mr. Jatta said 'our Gambian consul Lamin Janneh has done tremendously well in ensuring that all Gambians are safe as long as they stayed indoors before arrangements for their evacuation home was made'.

He revealed that any black African seen in the streets was beaten by Libyans who formed themselves into vigilante groups 'hunting' for black immigrants. Samba Sowe an evacuee said Libyans have accused blacks of destroying their country. He said despite Libyan atrocities towards blacks the authorities there 'have never made a statement to condemn the alleged acts'.

'It seems if they are not fellow Africans' he said.

At Sarakiya he continued some blacks were beaten to death and thrown in a river. 'A friend of mine told me that at the coast of Tunis, dead bodies were found,' he claimed.

Sulayman Sanneh another evacuee said he did not receive information suggesting that Gambians were being beaten to death but said some of his compatriots sustained serious injuries after Libyans attacked blacks in areas where Gambians reside. The Libyan government he said never issued any statement over the issue.

'At the airport in Tripoli I was told that the Libyan government had called back the blacks... but what for? He inquired. He alleged that between Highslami and Sara-Sara where some blacks were camped a Libyan taxi driver forcefully drove through them and many blacks were seriously injured.

'A lot more Gambians were left at the airport, wanting to reach home' he narrated.

Mr. Sanneh thanked The Gambian Consular General in Tripoli for 'his tireless efforts' in helping Gambians stranded there.


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Copyright © 2000 The Independent. Distributed by allAfrica.com. 

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