On Thursday, Rwanda received 153 asylum seekers evacuated from Libya, according to Rwanda’s Ministry in charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA).
The statement indicated that the asylum seekers consisted of 82 Sudanese, 56 Eritreans, five Somalis, nine Ethiopians, and one South Sudanese.
It added that the asylum seekers will be accommodated at the Gashora Transit Center, where other evacuees are hosted.
Last month, Rwanda once again demonstrated its steadfast commitment to humanitarianism. This is the 16th group of asylum seekers from Libya. As per data from MINEMA, the 15th group – the previous one – comprised 169 asylum seekers, originating from Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan.
“They safely landed at Kigali International Airport. Rwanda remains committed to offering refuge and assistance to people in need. The evacuees were transported to the Gashora transit center in eastern Rwanda, pending the processing of their resettlement to other countries,” the statement said.
The asylum-seekers were evacuated under the 2019 memorandum of understanding signed between the Rwandan government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the African Union. Through this, a transit mechanism for evacuating refugees and asylum-seekers out of Libya was set up.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in November that more than 6,600 people have received resettlement assistance from Rwanda this year. Those resettled include 1,288 persons who were first evacuated from Libya to Rwanda.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations.
Libya’s economy, heavily reliant on oil, has suffered due to the ongoing conflict. The instability has led to fluctuations in oil production and prices, impacting the global oil market and Libya’s economy.
The conflict has led to a significant humanitarian crisis in Libya, with thousands of people killed, and many more displaced. Migrants and refugees using Libya as a transit point to Europe have also faced dire conditions.
The planned elections for December 2021 were delayed due to disagreements over election laws and the eligibility of certain candidates. This delay has raised concerns about the feasibility of a peaceful political transition.
Despite the ceasefire, security remains a significant concern with sporadic fighting and the presence of mercenaries and foreign fighters. The unification of the military and the removal of foreign forces are crucial challenges.