Libya attacks could be war crimes – UN commissioner
Publish date: 15 April 2019
Issue Number: 819
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: A Matter of Justice
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has warned that attacks on civilians in Libya could amount to war crimes. She urged all sides to avoid bloodshed as military strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces advance on the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, BBC News reports. Some 47 people have been killed over the past three days, says the World Health Organisation (WHO), as his forces seek to capture the capital. On Monday, an air strike closed the city's only functioning airport. The rights commissioner said 'the attack near Mitiga airport that left many civilians in Tripoli stranded brought into stark focus the imperative for all parties to respect international humanitarian law, and to take all possible measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and prisons'.