The report released by the UN Support Mission in Libya and the UN Human Rights Office estimated that some 150,000 people, including migrant workers, have fled the country. The report says a “climate of fear” has made citizens reluctant to speak about militia abuses.
The surge of violence is the worst in Libya since rebels backed by NATO warplanes overthrew and killed Gadhafi. The conflict is rooted in subsequent transitional governments’ reliance on web of militias — many of them former rebel brigades— to restore order after Libya’s regular army and police were shattered by the uprising.
UN report said warring militias have abducted members of rival groups as well as civilians, and have engaged in torture and unlawful killings. They use a “variety of weapons in populated areas,” ranging from small arms to air strikes, the report said. It added that the poor condition of the weapons, lack of training and disregard for civilian lives have made Libya’s war zones even more dangerous.
Those displaced include thousands of members of the Tawergha, a community of dark-skinned Libyans accused of siding with Gadhafi’s forces during the siege of the coastal city of Misrata. The Islamist-allied Misrata militia -- today one of the country’s most powerful -- drove them out of their town near the city at the end of the war.
Source: Nagaland Post
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