Frontline – August 02, 2019

whereconflicthasmarkedtheirentirelives. Otherscome

fromWestAfrica,wheretheyhavefledclimatecata-

stropheandeconomiccollapse.Theyhadhopedto reach

Europe,whichhas consistentlyadvertiseditselfas a place

of prosperityandsafety.Thoseadvertisements havebeen

theattractionforpeoplewhoarefleeingvarious formsof

terror.

OnJuly2, aircraftattachedto thearmiesof General

AMANINA LIBYANDETENTIONCENTREHOLDS
a signthatreads:“EuropeanUnionpretendstheydon’t
knowwhatis facing us.”Heis ona hungerstrike.“We
don’tneedtoeat,”saysanothermanthroughtheFace-
bookMessenger app.Foodpacketsaresetaside. Theyare
notinterested in thiskindof charity.Theywantto leave
thedetentioncentre.Theywantto leaveLibya.“Saveus
fromthenextbombs,”theysay.“Saveusfromthe
violence.”
Themenandwomenin these detentioncentresalong
theLibyancoastlinearenotunfamiliar withviolence.
TheycomefromplacessuchasSudanandSomalia,

Murder and mayhem

MIGRANTScarrytheremainsof theirbelongingsfromthe

rubblethat theirdetention centreturnedintoafter it was hit

byanair strike,in theTajourasuburbof TripolionJuly 3.

ISMAI

L ZETOUN

I/REUTERS

HorrorstoriesareemergingfromLibya,whererefugeesarebeingheldin

inhumane conditionsin detentioncentresandrebelgroupsarebattlingeach

otherin anunendingwarsetoffbyNATOandfuelledbyEurope.

BYVIJAYPRASHAD

WORLD AFFAIRS

LIBYA