Africa News
Sep 4, 2011, 7:57 GMT
Cairo - Human Rights Watch urged Libyan rebels Sunday to stop the arbitrary arrest and abuse of African migrant workers and black Libyans assumed to be mercenaries.
Over the past week, rebel forces around Tripoli have conducted mass arrests of people from several African states such as Chad, Sudan, Niger, and Mali, holding them in makeshift detention facilities.
Since the conflict began in February, rebel forces have arrested many Africans who they claim have admitted they were hired by fugitive leader Moamer Gaddafi to join his forces.
Human Rights Watch called on the Transitional National Council, now running the country, to release those detained solely due to their dark skin colour.
It is believed Gaddafi used mercenaries after most of the Libyan army personnel defected and joined the rebels following lethal crackdown by government forces on pro-democracy protesters.
The majority of detainees interviewed by the group claimed to be migrant workers detained because of their nationality and that they were not pro-Gaddafi mercenaries.
'It's a dangerous time to be dark-skinned in Tripoli,' said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. 'The council should stop arresting African migrants and black Libyans unless it has concrete evidence of criminal activity.'
However, the group said there was no evidence of killings of Africans in Tripoli or systematic abuse of detainees, but mass arrests and frequent abuse have created a grave sense of fear among the city's African population.
Human Rights Watch called on the council to prioritize setting up a justice system capable of providing review of detainees - for whom there is evidence of criminal activity - as quickly as possible.
The New York-based group also urged the council to ensure the security of tens of thousands of migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa, who face harassment and violence from both armed rebel fighters and Libyan citizens who accuse them of having fought as mercenaries for Gaddafi.
Prior to the uprising, between 1 and 2 million African migrant workers were in Libya, the group said.
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