Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - Somalia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Nigeria are the African countries where there are more people at risk of massacres, according to the Peoples under Threat Index 2011, prepared by the Minority Rights Group. The report, which was presented on May 12, focuses on violations of minorities in various countries of the world.
Among the African countries where, compared to 2010, this year the risk of massacres is increasing, there are Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda, Guinea and Libya. As far as Libya is concerned, it is observed that "civilian deaths have increased following the beginning of international military affairs, especially in Misratha and towns of the central coast, where troops loyal to Colonel Gaddafi have launched a vigorous attempt to regain control ". The report also states that the town of Zuwara, west of Tripoli, taken in mid-March by government forces, 500 Berbers have fled to Tunisia. The document also denounces racist acts against the Libyans and dark-skinned foreign workers, especially in areas under rebel control. Representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have collected the testimonies of African workers forced to flee with the accusation(false) of being Gaddafi`s mercenaries. More than 500,000 people have fled from Libya, a large percentage of foreign labor.
Civil conflict in Côte d'Ivoire between the former President Laurent Gbagbo and the current Head of State Alessandro Ouattara, was marked by massacres of civilians. At the end of March about one thousand civilians were killed in Duékoué, in the west. Even after the fall of Gbagbo "the risk of new killings remains high, with one million internally displaced people, and armed militias on both sides," the report warns. Among the countries at risk then there is Uganda, where the situation is aggravated by the lack of trust between the central government, political parties and the traditional kingdoms, as well as arbitrary arrests of opposition leaders. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 17/05/2011)
