The U.N. on Monday confirmed that foreign warplanes supporting eastern-based illegitimate forces' led by putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar in Libya are responsible for the killing of at least 53 migrants and refugees at a detention center near the capital Tripoli last July, calling for justice, APA reports citing Daily Sabah.
The conclusion came in a 13-page report published by the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the U.N. Human Rights Office based on U.N. visits to the site, analysis of video footage and other evidence, as well as subsequent interviews with survivors and witnesses.
The joint report called for those responsible to be held accountable, urging Libyan authorities to "conduct independent, impartial and thorough investigations ... with a view to ensuring swift prosecution" of those behind the July 2 raids that left 53 dead and 130 wounded.
The report also said that the airstrikes were likely conducted by aircraft belonging to a foreign state, adding, "It remains unclear whether these air assets were under the command of Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) or were operated under the command of that foreign state in support of the LNA."
The report did not mention any foreign state in connection with the airstrike, but the United Arab Emirates has been accused of involvement in airstrikes. However, the UAE has denied these accusations. The legitimate Government of National Accord (GNA) blames Haftar's forces, despite Haftar's denials.
According to the report, the airstrike at the Tajoura detention center, near the capital Tripoli, was one of the deadliest incidents since a new round of hostilities broke out in Libya last April, and deserved further investigation.
"As I have said previously, the Tajoura (suburb) attack, depending on the precise circumstances, may amount to a war crime," said Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.
A hangar used to detain migrants took a direct hit in the nighttime strikes along with a workshop operated by an armed group.
Since the ouster of late ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the UAE and another in Tripoli, which enjoys U.N. and international recognition.
Since last April, Haftar's military offensive against Libya's internationally recognized government has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people.
Haftar's forces moved toward the city of Misrata on Sunday, which is allied to the GNA, officials and residents said.
The increase in fighting came a week after Turkey, which backs the GNA in Tripoli, and the UAE, Egypt and Russia, which back Haftar, agreed with Western powers at a summit in Berlin to push for a lasting cease-fire and uphold an arms embargo.
Haftar also accepted the terms in Berlin to designate members to a U.N.-proposed military commission with five members from each side to monitor the implementation of the cease-fire.
On Jan. 12, parties in Libya announced a cease-fire in response to a joint call by the leaders of Turkey and Russia. But two days later in Russia, talks for a permanent cease-fire ended without an agreement after Haftar left Moscow without signing the deal.
Speaking late Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused forces loyal to Haftar of violating two summits seeking peace in the country.
"Haftar – who turned his back on both the Moscow and Berlin summits – is violating the cease-fire in Libya. If peace is to be established in Libya, he should be stopped," said Erdogan.
"Haftar and his forces are playing a dirty game, and we are watching them. We will continue to do whatever is necessary," he added.
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Erdoğan on Monday about the conflict in Libya and Syria's Idlib.
"The two leaders discussed the need to eliminate foreign interference and maintain the cease-fire in Libya," White House spokesman Judd Deere said on Twitter.
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