About 300 African Migrants feared dead off Libyan Cost

[medialensafrica]

More than 200 would-be migrants are feared dead after up to three Europe-bound boats sank in separate incidents in the Mediterranean, the International Organisation for Migration has said.

At least 21 bodies were found on Tuesday after the vessels capsized in high winds and heavy rain off the coast of Libya, the IOM officials said.

"A boat with 257 migrants on board sank on Sunday off the coast of Libya. Twenty-three people were saved and 21 bodies were retrieved", Laurence Hart, the IOM chief of mission in Tripoli, Libya's capital, said.

Officials said search operations were ongoing but hopes of finding survivors were fading.
"After more than two days of searching, we have found no more bodies or survivors or the boat," a Libyan official told the Reuters news agency.

Departure point

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva said on Tuesday that Egyptians, Tunisians and Africans were on board the boats that were wrecked around 30km off the Libyan coast.
Libyan officials said it was not clear whether the boats left for Italy from Libya.

Libya, which has 1,770km of coast, is a popular departure point for African migrants trying to reach Europe for a better life.

"This is the beginning of the smuggling season in the Mediterranean," Ron Redmond, the UNHCR spokesman, said.

"This tragic incident illustrates, once again, the dangers faced by people caught in mixed irregular movements of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean and elsewhere which every year cost thousands of lives."

Migration controls
The report of the deaths comes amid plans by Italy and Libya for a joint sea patrol in May in a bid to halt the influx of migrants trying to reach European countries.

The Italian interior minister said on Monday that the patrols would begin on May 15, and he expected that day to "mark the end" of illegal migration from North Africa.

"We have done everything possible to prevent arrivals," Roberto Maroni said.
"We have signed a deal with Libya and the Libyan government is committed to launch on May 15 patrols along the coasts with six vessels.

"Until then, we will continue to ask the Libyan authorities to intensify controls, but I guess that there will still be arrivals."
Hart, of the IOM's Tripoli office, said that the agreement may have been a "push factor which people smugglers exploited telling would-be migrants: "it is now or never".

Nearly 37,000 immigrants deemed illegal landed on Italian coasts last year, a 75 per cent rise from 2007, according to the Italian interior ministry. Rights groups say most migrants risk their lives in treacherous waters trying to reach Europe hoping to escape poverty in their home countries.

We would recall that at least 45 people have drowned after a boat carrying them from Somalia across the Gulf of Aden capsized in deep waters off Yemen. The boat, transporting 46 migrants from Somalia and Ethiopia, capsized on Friday night about 95km from Mukalla, a south-eastern Yemeni port, the Yemeni interior ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
An Ethiopian passenger and three traffickers were able to get safely to shore, the ministry said. The smugglers were arrested.

The boat was making a two-day journey across the Gulf of Aden from Bossasso, a northern Somali port.
It was not clear what caused the boat to capsize. It is the second accident involving migrants off Yemen in about a week.

Meanwhile, most of the migrants found on Tuesday after the vessels capsized in high winds and heavy rain off the coast of Libya are said to be from Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.

Submitted by: Al Jazeera and Media Lens Africa

[medialensafrica]

Following the coverage of the news material by Al Jazeera and Media Lens
Africa, the reaction we got are already pilling up. Women of Africa, an
NGO based in the U.K had immediately the news hit the streets, written a
protest to what they see as the physical facts of the failed African
Leadership.

For more on Women of Africa, visit www.womenofafrika.org also, see
attached document from Women of Africa.

Below is the press Release sent to MLA by Women of Africa, in reaction to the news content,"About 200 African Migrants Feared dead off Libyan Coast."

DEATH OF 300 AFRICAN YOUTHS BEING SMUGGLED TO GREENER PASTURES (THE WEST)

The death of 300 African youths while being smuggled to the West at the coast of Libya as reported on Tuesday 31.03.09 requires an immediate reaction by All Africans; people of African heritage; International NGOs working in Africa and friends of Africa worldwide.

Women Of Africa is greatly concerned about the influx of Africans youths trying to reach the West by all means as they escape from poverty and obvious obstacle to them achieving their aspiration as human beings and issues the following statement: -
•That the youths of Africa are the future of the African Continent and therefore deserve special commitment by all as above.

•That Africans worldwide should become concerned and therefore participate in efforts to change this tragic situation by joining hands with Women Of Africa in their endeavors to work for positive change in Africa for our future generations.

•That the liberation of the Continent of Africa is the sole responsibility of Africans worldwide

•That whereas we condemn the enslavement of Africans hundreds of years ago, we are mindful of the role of fellow Africans in the current enslavement of the African people which is the major reason for African youths endangering their lives to REACH “greener pastures” (mainly Europe)

•That African leaders need to be held accountable for the risk being taken by their citizens (youths in particular) to reach the West.

Africans are capable of achieving Africa’s GREATNESS
AFRICA IS NOT POOR: AFRICANS NEED TO WAKE UP

Visit our website at www.womenofafrika.org

[George]

I would like to say to the families of the people who were on the ship off the coast of Liberia I am praying for you and hope you will receive the comfort that only God can give in such trying times. The Holy Scriptures say But as many as received him he gave the power to become the children of God ;even to them that believe on his name. And the Lord Jesus Christ said Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn of me,for I am meek and lowly of heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. This is all found in the Holy Bible,The Authorized King James of 1611, the preserved word of God. He is the only one who can fill the void in our lives because of sin and the results of it in our world.The wages of sin is death,but the gift of God is eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.He came into the world to save sinners since he loved us enough to do something about our sins.He lived a sinless life,and died for our sins on the cross,he was buried,and rose from the dead,was seen of men,and went back up to heaven.And now he is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him,seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. If we will repent of our sins against God our Creator,the three in one,and the one in the middle died for me.And trust Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour and God and ask him in prayer to forgive our sins and save our souls,he will do as he has promised.For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Call on him now for salvation if you havent already! For furthur information,www.AntrimFaithBaptistChurch.com or www.FellowshipTractLeague.com , or www.swordoftheLord.com ,Thank You,and may God bless you as you look to him for his help.

[william]

Hi all,
In the past Africans were sold away as slaves, in our days Africans are selling themselves out as slaves.
The transportation has not gotten better ever since.
William

[goke1979]

Expulsion

In March of the year 2000,sixty Haitians put to sea in a leaky dinghy.
They all drowned.
Since this happens all the time,it didn't make the news.
The men swallowed by the waters of the Caribbean were all rice farmers.
The rice farmers of Haiti have become raftsmen or beggers since the IMF forbade government
protection for local producers.
Now Haiti buys its rice from the United States,where the IMF,which is rather absentminded,
forgot to forbid government protection for local producers.