Misurata Rebels Accused of Ethnic Cleansing

A rebel drives through Tawerga as buildings burn in the background

The fact that 35,000 black Libyans who lived in a town called Tawerga are completely missing should be a tad bit alarming. Add to that the fact that most of the town has been looted and torched to the ground with racist grafitti everywhere makes clear the evil nature of what has happened.

Even this is not enough, as this NY Times article makes clear.

As the Tawergans have sought safety in other cities, including Surt and Tripoli, they say Misurata’s fighters are stalking them and rounding up their men.

Tawergans say Misurata has ignored betrayals by its other neighbors, singling out Tawerga because most of the residents are black. Graffiti on their emptied homes deepens their conviction: “Misurata’s slaves” appears on many walls. Fighters from Misurata say race had nothing to do with it. The Tawergans’ crimes were unforgivable, they said, and as far as they were concerned, the town had ceased to exist.

“They can’t live next to us,” said Salem Hussein Kanemo, an official from Misurata (seen loading up trucks with stolen food and furniture.)

On the wall of an apartment occupied by young fighters from Misurata, someone else had scrawled, “Don’t buy slaves without a stick."

Anywhere in the world human rights organizations would be calling this a crime against humanity - evidence of ethnic cleansing. Instead it goes largely ignored, particularly by Western political leaders ultimately responsible for supporting the perpetrators - the NTC rebels.


Tawerga residents make do in a deserted naval completx in Tripli where they are subject to arbitrary arrest - as well as rape and beatings

The question of who exactly is responsible for these crimes is becoming even more significant. The piece makes clear that it is rebels from Misurata. This is significant because the leader of these fighters might just soon be the most important man in Libya. Stay tuned, but the Islamists and Misuratans have put forward the name of Misurata commander Abdul Rahman al Swehli to lead the NTC once they oust the Western educated elites now in charge. "Free Libya" may soon be led by Al Qaeda and warlords responsible for ethnic cleansing.