South Sudan probing death of nine migrants in Libya airstrike

July 11, 2019 (JUBA) – South Sudan is investigating reports that nine of its citizens died in Libya during last week’s airstrike in a detention center in the capital, an official said.

The foreign affairs ministry spokesperson, Mawien Makol said its embassy in Egypt is engaging Libyan authorities to establish facts after it was reported that at least nine South Sudanese were killed during the air raid that took place in Tajoura detention centre in Tripoli.

“We have received reports that South Sudanese were among people killed in Libya. We want to find out exactly how many (South Sudanese migrants) were there and the number of those probably killed,” he told Xinhua Thursday.

According to the United Nations, the detention centre in Tripoli was holding some 600 migrants at the time when the attack happened.

At least 53 migrants, it said, died and 130 were hurt in the air strikes.

The North African country has been torn by violence and division ever since its long time former President Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed in 2011.

(ST)