Since the circulation of unverified reports that Muammar Gaddafi had hired African mercenaries to quash protests during Libya's uprising, many black citizens, immigrants and migrant workers of dark skin color have been subjected to racial harassment, violence, imprisonment and executions at the hands of rebels. IHRC is deeply concerned that the ingrained discrimination in contemporary Libya against black Africans will underpin a descent into mob-style justice and genocide against those most vulnerable in the Libyan state. IHRC is extremely concerned about evidence emerging from Libya that black Africans are being rounded up by rebel forces en-mass due to their skin color. It is in an environment of suspicion and turmoil that these Africans are threatened, imprisoned and executed under accusations of being pro-Gaddafi or enlisted by Gaddafi as mercenaries. IHRC has been documenting the institutional discrimination and abuse suffered by black Africans in Libya for many years. Out of a population of over 6.5 million, it is estimated that between 1-2 million are non-Arab – many of whom are migrant workers, but the majority of which are Libyan citizens originating from African countries such as Chad, Niger and Nigeria. In 2000, discrimination against black Africans erupted into riots, resulting in dozens of migrant workers being lynched by protesters. Hundreds of Eritrean refugees have since been interned in detention centers in Misratah and elsewhere across Libya. Many accounts from Libya have verified the use of summary executions by armed gangs and militias, as well as the presence of mass graves in the country. The persecution of Africans in Libya must be prevented from erupting into another chapter of genocide based upon racism. BM
