Statement on events of Tripoli Civilians victims of chaos and violence

The Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center and Defender Center for Human Rights declared their concerns towards the critical and degenerating human situation in the south of Tripoli-Libya, which represents another human catastrophe to be added to the series of conflicts in Libya. They condemned the outrageous acts and the human rights violations, as well, especially towards civilians in the current situation. Both centers are calling for self-control and inviting all parties for negotiations instead of armed attacks. The Libyan capital Tripoli has witnessed a series of violent clashes, since Monday the 27th of August 2018, between armed groups from the Libyan Government of National Accord and individuals from the “Seventh Brigade”, which consists of gunmen from the city of Tarhuna, 60 km to the southeast of Tripoli, claiming that they belong to the Ministry of Defense in the Government of National Accord. Hours after the ceasefire, declared by officials from the west of Libya, which was supposed to end the violent attacks because of which around 30 persons have perished, the violent clashes started over again between armed groups in the south of Tripoli. Citizens spoke of firings from heavy arms and machine guns.

Allied to the Government of National Accord and individuals from the “Seventh Brigade”  and its supporting forces which consists of gunmen from the city of Tarhuna, 60 km to the southeast of the capital Tripoli, belonging  to unknown parties.

According to the ministry of health in Tripoli, 27 persons were killed and 91 others were injured, most of them civilians, since the beginning of the attacks on Monday till Wednesday afternoon in the southern suburbs of Tripoli. The emergency unit of Tripoli declared that the field hospital in the area of Salah-Eldden alone received 41 dead and 126  injured between both civilians and militaries, in Tripoli attacks.

On another part, the emergency unit informed in a declaration published on Thursday on its official Facebook page that “These numbers are scalable, since there are 75 moderate and serious injured. In addition the unit could not access the clash zones till now.” On another update, a missile struck a house in one of the suburbs resulting in the death of two adolescents, according to a local responsible and journalists from the AFP.

These events have been largely condemned on both global and national levels as the United Nations Expeditionary Force in Libya has renewed its condemnation of the mounting violence in the area of Tripoli through a statement published on its official Facebook page in which it called for an emergent cease fire on the side of all fronts.

Moreover, the ambassadors and business operators of the French, Italian, British and American embassies In Libya have expressed their extreme concerns with the latest armed conflicts in Tripoli and its surroundings since such conflicts destabilize the life of civilians who are now put under constant threat. They have also stated that sabotaging security in Libya is inacceptable and goes completely against the interests of the Libyan people.

The Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center and Defender Center for Human Rights emphasized that stakeholders must take responsibility of the latest events due to their seriousness and impact on the transition process in Libya.

They have also insisted on the necessity of penalizing perpetrators of extreme violations ranging from war crimes to crimes against humanity that should not be discharged with time since getting away with these crimes is but a perpetuation of the culture of escape from justice and an aggravation of the crisis of absence of authority that prevails in Libya for years.

The organizations have renewed their endless support of the peaceful transition process in Libya that will optimistically take place within full legitimacy and respect of the International Humanitarian Law.

Defender Center for Human Rights

The Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center