The Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) recent report on the displaced families of Tawergha was “unbiased” and did not exaggerate the situation of the city, Gaballah El-Shebanni, a member of the House of Representatives, said on Thursday.
There are two reasons that hinder the return of the displaced families of Tawergha; the lack of stability in the city and the destruction of the infrastructure, which was mentioned in the HRW’s report, he added.
The other reason is the families’ discontent about the terms of the agreement signed with Misrata, in particularly the issue of establishing an independent municipality for Tawergha, El-Shebanni further added.
He noted there are ongoing talks with the civil society in Misrata to allow the new municipality of Tawergha.
According to the HRW, most of the 48,000 former residents of Tawergha, forcibly displaced for seven years, have not been able to return home.
Despite reconciliation agreements that should have paved the way for Tawerghans’ return, the massive and deliberate destruction of the town and its infrastructure, and a pervasive feeling of insecurity, have kept all but a few families from returning.
“New satellite imagery analysis shows that between 2013 and 2017, when militias from the nearby city of Misrata effectively controlled Tawergha, over 20 kilometers of the city’s underground electric cable network was most likely removed and apparently stolen,” the report said.
