Foreign nationals flee deadly violence in Libya

(Baonghean)-Foreigners in Libya are leaving the country to avoid becoming victims of violence. On Sunday, August 3, a Royal Marines ship began evacuating British citizens residing in Libya.

Foreign nationals wait to be evacuated at the Libya/Tunisie border on August 3. Photo: AFP/ F Nasri

The HMS Enterprise, which is on a mission in the Mediterranean, arrived in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, on Sunday, the UK defence secretary said. The Royal Fleet "is helping British nationals leave Libya, at the request of the Foreign Secretary," Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement.

Around 100 British nationals out of between 100 and 300 temporarily staying in Libya have been evacuated. A British government source said HMS Enterprise was also picking up citizens of other countries who wished to leave Libya.

In 2011, a similar evacuation operation was carried out by a ship of the Royal Fleet when riots broke out following the execution of Mouammar Kadhafi and military intervention from several Western countries.

Egypt has also expressed concern for its citizens fleeing in droves. Thousands of Egyptian refugees gathered at the Tunisian border this weekend. They were finally evacuated after days of tense waiting and pressure from the Libyan side of the border. Dozens of them were taken by bus from the Ras Jedir border station to Djerba airport, more than 100km to the north, where flights to Egypt are available. About 100 others were waiting for buses to take them to the airport. According to Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Hossam El-Dine, 1,796 people were taken to Djerba earlier, with another 1,355 arriving on Sunday, and five flights to Egypt were scheduled for the day, Egypt's official news agency reported.

As of Saturday evening, August 2, around 6,000 people were waiting to be repatriated. Neither Libya, Egypt nor Tunisia said how many remained on Sunday. "Their situation is very critical, many have not eaten for five or six days," a representative of the regional Red Cross told AFP.

Violence in Libya has killed at least 200 people and injured 1,000 in two weeks, the country's health ministry said. The Islamist-nationalist conflict that has poisoned the political climate for months has now moved to the battlefield, where rival military forces are fighting. In the capital Tripoli, shootings and bombings broke out again on Saturday, August 2, on the road leading to the airport, along with clashes in several southern neighborhoods. Twenty-two people were killed and 72 injured in Tripoli, Saturday, August 2. (Le Monde)

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