By Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MISRATA, Libya – Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has shelled the city of Misrata with cluster bombs according to a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW). Witnesses in Misrata claim several cluster bombs exploded in the city on April 14th and 15th. It remains unclear how many civilians or rebel fighters were killed in these attacks. The cluster bombs were use during a push by Gaddafi-led forces to retake Misrata from the rebels. Fighting between forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi and the opposition continues in both eastern and western Libya.

According to reports from Human Rights Watch and the British newspaper, The Guardian, on Thursday and Friday, witnesses in the city of Misrata saw at least four explosions believe to be from cluster bombs. The use of cluster bombs has been banned by most countries because of their potential to inflict damage over a large area. As noted by HRW, cluster bombs “explode in midair, indiscriminately throwing out dozens of high-explosive bomblets” and the submunitions then either explode upon impact or are detonated when an unsuspecting person steps on them or picks them up.

Making this scenario even more troubling is these cluster bombs are being used in an urban environment against both rebel forces trying to defend the city and civilians who have been unable to flee the violence. According to Steve Goose, HRW’s arms division director, the use of cluster bombs in a residential area poses “a huge risk to civilians.”

 HRW believes the cluster bomb munitions were manufactured in Spain before their use was condemned by the international community. Specifically, HRW believes the cluster bombs are “Spanish-produced MAT-120, 120mm mortar projectiles, which open in mid-air and release 21 submunitions over a wide area. Upon exploding on contact with an object, each submunition disintegrates into high-velocity fragments to attack people and releases a slug of molten metal that can penetrate armored vehicles.”

Moussa Ibrahim, a spokesman for the Libyan government has denied cluster bombs are being used in the fighting. He claims “We can never do this, morally, legally. We challenge them [HRW] to prove this. We know the international community is coming en masse to our country. We’re not using them.” It is important to note that Libya has not signed on to the Convention on Cluster Munitions which prohibits the use of cluster bombs and requires states that have stockpiled these munitions to destroy them.

Along with the cluster bombs, more than 100 government rockets have been fired into the city or Misrata as forces loyal to Col. Gaddafi are struggling to retake the city from rebel forces. According to rebels in Misrata, at least eight fighters have been killed as Gaddafi forces continue to push towards the center of the city.

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch — Libya: Cluster Munitions Strike Misrata – 15 April 2011

Guardian — Libya: Gaddafi forces ‘using cluster bombs in Misrata’ – 15 April 2011

Mail Online– Gaddafi accused of using cluster bombs on civilians, fuelling calls for allied ground troops to move in – 15 April 2011

New York Times – Qaddafi Troops Fire Cluster Bombs Into Civilian Areas -15 April 2011

The Sydney Morning Herald — Libya denies using cluster bombs – 17 April 2011