[ 2011-04-10 ]

Ghanaian migrant shot dead in Libya – Report
A Ghanaian migrant worker trapped in the crisis in
Libya is reported to have been shot dead by forces
loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi.

The International Business Times citing Aljazeera
quoted a Nigerian migrant worker saying the
unnamed Ghanaian was shot in his presence.

The Nigerian man who was also not identified in
the report was said to have told Aljazeera that he
has lived and worked in Libya for eight years as a
technician. He said, together with some men from
Ghana, Mali and Niger they were abducted at a
military checkpoint in Tripoli and then moved to a
military centre.

“There was up to 100 people in the courtyard and
military trucks were arriving and leaving with
more people,” he was quoted as saying.

“They started beating people, I saw them shoot
one Ghanaian in front of me. The atmosphere was
very intimidating. They put us into a vehicle and
we were driven into the desert. I saw an oil
refinery, there was evidence of bomb strikes,
burnt out vehicles and a strong smell. I think it
was Ras Lanouf.”

The report added that similarly, a Ghanaian
migrant said he was abducted from his home in
Sirte.

“They asked us why we were trying to leave the
country and that we must stay to fight for when
the Americans come,” he said. “We were taken
to a police station and then to an underground
hospital which they ordered us to clean,” he was
quoted as telling Aljazeera.

According to the report stranded foreign migrants
in Libya are being forced to fight for Gaddafi,
adding that while some have managed to flee the
fighting, some of them have been subject to
reprisals by rebel forces who accuse them of being
mercenaries for the Libyan leader.
There is no independent confirmation of this
particular incident.

Since the conflict in Libya began about 16,822
Ghanaians have been evacuated from that country
– in excess of the anticipated 10,000,
government officials in Accra have said.

Source - Emmanuel K. Dogbevi

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