Libyan government determined to shed light on mass graves discovered in Tarhouna, last pro-Haftar stronghold

13 Juin 2020

Tripoli, Libya, June 13 (Infosplusgabon) -  The mass graves discovered in Tarhouna, 120 km south of Tripoli, the last stronghold of Marshal Khalifa Haftar's forces in western Libya, have raised serious concern from both local authorities and international organizations, official sources said here Saturday.

The graves reveal the enormous human rights violations committed in areas under Haftar's control, a situation that has prompted the government of national accord to shed light on the deaths believed to be extrajudicial executions.

During the recapture of the town of Tarhouna on 5 June by the forces loyal to the GNA at the hands of Haftar's troops, more than 100 bodies were discovered in the morgue of the city's hospital bearing traces of bullets and torture.

This macabre discovery was followed by others relating to mass graves in various parts of the city unveiled a day after.

In this context, the Interior minister of the GNA, Fathi Bachagha, visited the city of Tarhouna Thursday and met with the director of Security and a number of management officers to inquire about security measures taken by Safe Country Operation launched by the ministry a few days ago to secure the areas retaken from Haftar's supporters.

During the visit, Bachagha said the city of Tarhouna "will be in the best conditions", noting that "the force prepared by the Interior ministry will oversee the opening of all social institution services for the normalization of life".

He added that he had given instructions to manage security operations and the Special Deterrence Force to provide fuel, supervise its distribution and maintain security in the city.

Referring to the increase in mass graves, Bachagha stressed: "We are looking for all the mass graves to identify the bodies and hand them over to their families," recalling "the need to bring security back to the city".

The Interior minister also called on the residents of Tarhouna to return to their city, assuring them that they "will enjoy security since Tarhouna will be a safe city that will contribute to the stability of Libya without resorting to settling scores that will not be allowed".

Bachagha pledged to restore security in the city of Tarhouna "to become a force in the Libyan state, which will move at a safe and rapid pace towards progress and advancement".

He praised "all the efforts made by the security services inside the city by striking with an iron fist anyone who wants to undermine the security and stability of the country".

The Interior and Justice ministries of the government of national accord have begun investigating a second mass grave found in Tarhouna in recent days.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has urged the country's authorities to investigate under international humanitarian law and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The U.S. Embassy has expressed its support for the efforts of the Libyan authorities to shed light on these projects through a thorough investigation.

The ministry of Justice has announced the formation of a commission of inquiry with broad powers headed by the Attorney General, who specializes in the operation of opening mass graves, discovery of the remains and places of their disappearance and preserving unidentified bodies until they are identified.

The Joint Committee for the monitoring and documentation of human rights violations at the ministry of Justice of the GNA said it would continue to seek those responsible for these atrocities.

"We followed our surveillance teams, after extracting a number of bodies from abandoned mass graves and wells in the town of Tarhouna and its surroundings, after its release," the Committee added, noting that "more than 100 bodies were found at the Hospital of Tarhouna".

The Interior ministry, which accused Haftar's forces of carrying out the killings, stressed that it would continue to search for "all the mass graves".

Interior Minister Fathi Bachagha who visited the city of Tarhouna, ordered the security forces to "search all the mass graves to identify the bodies and hand them over to their families".

The general supervisor of Tarhouna General Hospital, Bourawi al-Bouzidi, confirmed the discovery of more than 160 bodies after the withdrawal of Haftar forces from the city.

He said after a media visit to the hospital that "the number of bodies inside the hospital morgue was 160, and most of them were transported to Tripoli and Misrata by the Red Crescent and in the presence of the public prosecutor's office for identification".

He added that a number of bodies had been at the hospital for many months, without specifying whether the they belonged to civilians or armed men.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/BNK/GABON2020

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