KENYA: Ninety Kenyans and dozens of other African nationals have been evacuated from Libya

Record ID: 361292

  • Title: KENYA: Ninety Kenyans and dozens of other African nationals have been evacuated from Libya
  • Date: 1st March 2011
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (FEBRUARY 28, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR KENYA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ARRIVALS HALL KENYA AIRWAYS FLAG BUSES CARRYING PASSENGERS TRAVELLING FROM TRIPOLI TO NAIROBI ON TARMAC
  • Embargoed: 16th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya, Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5M7FQLCRY5WW5C3HJU4H25QV3
  • Story Text: African citizens evacuated from turbulent Libya arrived in the Kenyan capital Nairobi early on Monday (February 28).
    Ninety Kenyans and 64 citizens from other African nations arrived safely at about 0830 local time (0530GMT) onboard a Kenya Airways flight.
    The flight included citizens from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Southern Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and South Africa, following requests from their governments to assist in evacuating their citizens from Libya.
    The Kenya Airways flight was expected to arrive in Nairobi last Friday but faced numerous delays. According to Kenyan authorities, the delays were due to Egyptian authorities refusing to give clearance citing safety concerns.
    Most of the evacuated Kenyans working in Libya were engineers, plant mechanics, and other technical employees working with the Strabag Construction Company. Others worked in the hotel industry.
    Thousands of foreign nationals have been evacuated from Libya as unrest in the nation intensifies with protests to oust leader Muammar Gaddafi.
    The Libyan leader vowed to stay in Libya on Sunday (February 27) and blamed foreigners and al Qaeda for the unrest that is threatening his 41-year rule. Gaddafi, once branded a "mad dog" by Washington for his support of militant groups worldwide, had been embraced by the West in recent years in return for renouncing some weapons programmes and, critically, for opening up Libya's oilfields.
    A growing number of Western leaders are now urging Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to step down after his brutal response to the popular uprising against his rule. The death toll from nearly two weeks of violence in Libya has been estimated by some to be at around 2,000.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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