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Monday, March 7, 2011

Two Ferries Bring People Escaping Libya to Morocco


Here is an article from AFP about Moroccans and others escaping the fighting in Libya.
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Two ferries bring Libya escapees to Morocco

(AFP) – 1 day ago

TANGIERS, Morocco — Aid workers in Morocco welcomed thousands of people escaping the violence roiling across Libya Sunday, as two ferries carrying some 4,000 people docked at the port of Tangiers.

Le Mistral vessel arrived in the afternoon with some 2,000 passengers, mainly women and children, who had been picked up in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

Many of the women were in tears as they stepped off the boat, children in their arms, to be received by workers from Morocco's Red Crescent and the Mohammed V Foundation.

Coaches were standing by to take returning Moroccans to their home regions.

Le Berkane, another ferry sent out by Morocco, returned to Tangiers earlier with 2,000 people.

More than 1,400 of the passengers were Moroccans, according to official figures, with others from Algeria, Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal and Tunisia.

Le Berkane picked up people in the Libyan port of Benghazi and also stopped over in in Tripoli on its journey back to Morocco.

Between 60,000 and 100,000 Moroccans live in Libya, according to government figures.

Several thousands have already been airlifted out of Libya, amid ongoing fighting between rebel fighters and forces loyal to strongman Moamer Kadhafi.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

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