25th
Need Help near Tripoli…
UPDATE Below…
I am passing this along from a friend who was in the Peace Corps and made close friends in Africa. I am redacting any information that might put them in harms way until we find some trusted organization or individuals that might be able to help them get to safety… please share, especially to contacts you may have with peace organizations operating in the region… Thank You.
My friend, [redacted], Is in hiding [just] outside of Tripoli. He is a Sierra Leonean. As Qaddafi’s forces try to keep control of Libya, Xenophobia grows stronger. All black Africans are becoming targets. [My friend] is not alone. There are seven others in hiding with him. They look to him, because he has contact with the Westerner, someone who might be able to save them all. I don’t know what to do. All I can think of doing is informing others. Perhaps one of my many connections has a connection that gets my friend out of Tripoli. If you know of someone, that might be able to help, please let me know. If you have connections, to nonprofit or the UN, please let them know about [the situation]. I can get you his contact information. If all you can do is spread this word farther, so there is more chance someone will hear it, please do that.
I can be reached at exador23 at yahoo dot com
UPDATE: The last message from the Sierra Leone man seeking help, addressed to my friend from the peace corps who has said it’s ok to share her contact info: pisenpc at yahoo dot com…
I write to inform you how deterioring the condition in Tripoli is getting by the hour, especially for us Black Africans who have been threatened by violence accussed of siding with the regime.
There is word going around town that the leader here has contracted the services of thousands of Black African soldiers to fight on his side as mercinaries whom they accussed of killing Libyan people. The story goes that, should the regime fall, we Black Africans are bound to be targeted. And media reports of this story is fueling Xenophobia mistrust and making the situation worst for us Black Africans living in Libya.
As I write this mail, there are several roadblocks in the city and shops remained closed as food is becoming scarce and residents scared of what will happen in the next hours.
I’ve left the city center and now holed up in an outskirt area overlooking the city. My food supply is running low and I don’t have money.
In light of the above, I’m desperately in need of help. I know you saved my life once. However, this time it is a matter of life and death. I know you’ve always cared for me. That is why I believe that if there is anything within your power you can do to help me at such a time, I know you would.
I don’t have access to the internet as I had to brave the security checkpoints to send this mail and I don’t think I would repeat it again for fear of my life. Therefore, if there is anything you think you can do for me at this time, please reach me on telephone lines: (phone number). In using the phone, please keep trying if you can’t reach me on first dialing because phone lines here are experiencing intermittent disruptions.
Please keep praying for me as I hope to hear from you soon.
