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Migrants killed in ‘religious clash’ on Mediterranean boat – BBC

Italian police say they have arrested 15 Muslim migrants after they allegedly threw 12 Christians overboard following a row on a boat heading to Italy. The Christian migrants, said to be from Ghana and Nigeria, are

Italian police say they have arrested 15 Muslim migrants after they allegedly threw 12 Christians overboard following a row on a boat heading to Italy.

The Christian migrants, said to be from Ghana and Nigeria, are all feared dead.

In a separate incident, more than 40 people drowned after another migrant boat sank between Libya and Italy.

Almost 10,000 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean have been rescued in recent days. Italy has called for more help from the EU to handle the crisis.

More than 500 people from Africa and the Middle East have died making the perilous crossing since the start of the year. Earlier this week, 400 people were believed to have drowned when their boat capsized.

More than 40 people have drowned in the latest sinking of a migrant boat between Libya and Italy.

The Italian navy rescued four people. Almost 10,000 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean have been plucked from the sea in recent days.

Separately, Italian police say they have arrested 15 Muslim migrants for allegedly throwing 12 Christians overboard on the boat carrying them.

Italy has called for more help from the EU to handle the migrant crisis.

Hundreds of migrants have died making the perilous crossing since the start of the year. Earlier this week, about 400 people were believed to have drowned when their boat capsized.

In the latest sinking, the survivors – a Ghanaian, two Nigerians, and a man from Niger – told Italian police their inflatable boat sank not long after leaving the coast of Libya with 45 people on board.

They were rescued by the Italian navy and arrived in Sicily on Thursday along with 600 other migrants trying to make the crossing in various vessels.

Earlier on Thursday Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Italy had “not had an adequate response from the EU”.

But the European Union has said it has no “silver bullet” for the problem of thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe.

In the latest sinking, the Italian navy plucked four survivors – a Ghanaian, two Nigerians, and a man from Niger – from the sea and took them to Sicily along with 600 other migrants trying to make the crossing in various vessels.

They told the police their inflatable boat sank not long after leaving the coast of Libya with 45 people on board.

‘In tears’

Meanwhile, police in Palermo say that 15 Muslim migrants, who travelled on another boat, were arrested on charges of “multiple aggravated murder motivated by religious hate”, after several surviving migrants came forward and told them of an altercation which resulted in 12 Christians being thrown overboard.

The men who have been charged come from the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali and Guinea.

They were among 105 migrants travelling in an inflatable boat that left Libya on Tuesday.

The survivors, also Christians, told police that they had only been saved because they strenuously resisted any attempt to be thrown overboard, which in some cases led to them forming a human chain.

Many of them were in tears when they gave their statement, the police added.

Earlier on Thursday Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Italy had “not had an adequate response from the EU”.

But the European Union has said it has no “silver bullet” for the problem of thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe.

Last year a record 170,000 people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East made the perilous crossing to Italy.

With improving weather conditions in recent days, the number of people making the crossing of at least 500km (310 miles) has surged. But vessels provided by people smugglers are often underpowered and overcrowded.

€2.8m (£2m) a month goes on Operation Triton, the border control policy that operates off the Italian coast. Monitoring the Mediterranean may not be enough, says commission spokesperson Natasha Bertaud. “We have neither the money nor the political support to launch a European border guard system,” she told reporters.

Triton has proved an inadequate replacement for the Italian military search-and-rescue operation Mare Nostrum, which cost three times as much. That 2013 mission was activated after a similar tragedy, when 300 migrants drowned.

The Italian government has requested more financial help from the EU, but the question is: how much money are the 28 member states willing to invest?

Only 22 of the members are supporting the current system. Others, including the UK, opted out, describing the policy as unintentionally encouraging more migrant attempts to make the crossing.

 

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24 COMMENTS
  • Temahlel April 16, 2015

    This is a sad story but not new. The same tragedy has been taking place against Eritreans in Sudan, Libya, Egypt-Sinai, Saudi Arabia and Djibouti.
    May the almighty send his anger to teach the racist devils the lesson he poured to Libya, Yemen and many ethno-religious-racists.

  • Pawlos T. April 16, 2015

    A book in the bible says : “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens : a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build… a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace”. Now, What time is it then? It is time for praying and asking Gods mercy and forgiveness.

  • AHMED SALEH April 17, 2015

    By now Eritreans must recognize that fleeing from the country this way risk dangerous consequences . They better deal with the evils inside the country than taking a chance to deal with unknown people worst from wild animals .
    We heard stories about how many Eritreans went through humiliations which makes no sense for any man who finds himself violated .
    Bring back the real Eritrean credibility of courage and determination or else .

  • Michael Tesfamariam April 17, 2015

    This is another strong evidence that Islam is a poisonous religious ideology that must be crushed when ever it appears. Killing non-muslim is always justified in Islamic teachings; no matter your colour, nationality, gender, social status, you must get killed as long as you are non-Muslim. This was seen just a week ago in Kenya where non-Muslim students were murdered by the cold-blooded Issais backed Al shebab terrorist. Although religion driven violence has not been a serious issue in Eritrea for many decades, but there is no guarantee in the future unless we all Eritreans, regardless of our religion unite now and eliminate hgdef before they create religious divisions amon the people to cover up their atrocities in the country.
    Qatar and Saudi are the two Islamic countries that have been trying to impose barbaric Islamic laws in Eritrea for the last 25 years. These two countries must not be allowed to intervene in our domestic affairs even in the worst situation. If we let these two countries to play a role in our movement for peace and democracy, it will be a disaster for the country in the future.

    • Kilo April 17, 2015

      “This is another strong evidence that Islam is a poisonous religious ideology that must be crushed when ever it appears. ”

      Michael Tesfamariam

      Assenna please stop these type of comments, usually done, by people who purposely inject poison in our discussion, for reasons we know well.

      Michael T., if every time extremists kill people you want insult Islam, then you are doing it purposely to put Eritreans against each other. We will not allow to divert our issues.
      Unfortunately, some of you who are quick to accuse Islam, forget that Ethiopia too can be affected, hence you.

      • AHMED SALEH April 17, 2015

        Do not blame negative commentators while the monitors of this forum encourage offensive and dubious messages to
        create religious suspicion among Eritreans attempts against
        our call for national UNITY .
        Who knows the motives behind their agenda and their identity.

        • AHMED SALEH April 17, 2015

          Compare the grade of approval given between comments
          of un-Eritrean Michael and of pro- Eritrean cause used name Kilo .
          Wake up Assenna before is too late from this impostors .

  • M. Said April 17, 2015

    True, this is a sad story but not news. The reason it is making headlines world wide due to the basic aspect of journalism. “Dog bites a man is not a news” But “a man bites a dog” is a news. Muslims are killed under various reasons and they are not getting such media attention.

  • M. Said April 17, 2015

    I just wonder why Assenna which is dedicated to covering news related to Eritrea is posting this news.

  • FTHI YINGES April 17, 2015

    Temahlel & Michael Tesfamariam
    ከማኩም ቡዙሓት ኣለው ጽልኢ ምግቦም ኤረትራውያን ኡካ ኣይኮንኩምን ካብ ዘለዉ ንታሕቲ ካብ ዝሞቱ ንላዕሊ ኢኩም እሞ የሱስ ክርስቶስ ኣፍቅሩ እየ ዝበለ ንስካትኩም ወዲ መድህን በራድ ዲዩ ጽልኢ ኣብዝሑ ናብ ገሃንም እሳት ሓቢርና ክንነብር ዶ ኢሉኩም ጽልኢ ሕማም ሙካኑ ስድራቤትኩም ኣየምሃሩኩምን ዲዮም

  • Fanko April 17, 2015

    “Migrants killed in ‘religious clash’ on Mediterranean boat” – BBC

    Eritrean refugees have been living the same history for more than a decade in the savage Arab world in the hand of the Arab doctors, police, border guards, Rashaydas and Arab Bedouins, that includes: losing one or two kidneys,one or two corneas, being sold as an Arab slave, being whipped and raped daily, tortured, branded and toasted by red hot iron or melting plastic, and the far away Eritrean families terrorized over the phone.

    Don’t be surprised if in the next twenty years the Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar burn in their own oil and come to our sea shores in leaky boats seeking refuge and begging “naHnu Habeshi … we have Habesha blood …” Hardly a surprise, seeing what is happening to Libya and Syria.

    • AHMED SALEH April 17, 2015

      Fanko
      We know who you are regardless pen-names used you don’t
      belong to interfere in our affairs .
      Your African brothers with arrogant pride are doing same evil
      deeds against African immigrants in South Africa . You can
      bring an excuse but the truth is it starts from stupidly , hatred
      and vendetta against anybody who differ from you .
      HIBRI AYNOM DES AYBELEBAN comes from mouth of those
      you keep defending them .

  • rezen April 17, 2015

    It gets clearer and clearer every day. Eritrea is completely and hopelessly divided by RELIGION among other parochial matters. I would be extremely happy to be wrong. No person in a right mind would wish to have disintegration and potential sufferings. But in Eritrea the two soliloquies are so out of phase that logical reconciliation is not possible. We hear arguments that the Christians and Muslims have been living together in harmony and brotherhood for time immemorial! It sounds so pleasant. Yet, it is really a wishful thinking. One very important factor is omitted whether consciously or unconsciously. Eritrea has always been under colonial rulers thus never had the chance to test its strength by itself for itself when it comes to live in harmony in diverse societies. That test was supposed to have come with the attainment of Independence. Alas, even with an indigenous ruler, Eritrea once again is denied the opportunity[even if it had that intention] to test itself as a worthy nation that accommodates varied societies. On the contrary, we see glaringly that parochial matters are important to Eritreans more than anything else. We shall see where that leads us, coupled with the sad fact that the population of young Eritreans is dwindling as a consequence of exodus out of the country never seen before. No Diaspora Eritrean, who is lucky enough to attain freedom, security and citizenship in foreign lands, would advice young Eritreans to remain in Hell called ‘Home’. That would be immoral. THE END

    • AHMED SALEH April 17, 2015

      rezen
      You are wrong to say Eritreans are divided by religion because the
      reality on the ground proved it all otherwise .
      We are aware from forces who try hard to divide and try dismantle
      our people’s culture of tolerance and respect to each other .
      Dirty politics couldn’t win the mind and heart of genuine nationals.

  • anti-higdef April 18, 2015

    Teclay: you keep changing names, but you can’t change your mindset. People like you are in minority on this forum. If you think people will never know your true identity, you are totally wrong. Eritrean Muslims will not blame their fellow Christians simply because a rootless like you think religious hatred against Eritrean Muslims is a fast way of dismantling Eritrea as a State. We have already gone through this, and it may not be the last time either.
    Where Hailesellasie failed in the past, with huge resources at his disposal, there isn’t any chance for a small bastard like you to see Eritreans killing each other, no matter how much to keep trying.

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