On April 6th 2019, 42-year-old Lassana Cisse from the Ivory Coast was shot and killed in Birżebbuġa, Malta in a racially motivated attack.
4 years later after the murder, which left two other victims left for dead, 44 activist groups issued a call to the Maltese government to stress that that racism and prejudice will not be tolerated.
The two suspects were identified as off-duty AFM soldiers who ‘allegedly targeted the victims because of their skin colours. They had already run over a young man from Chad, May Malimi, a few months before.
‘Four years on and Lassana’s family and the other 3 victims are still waiting for the excruciatingly slow wheels of justice to turn, whilst the suspects are out on bail.’
The aditus foundation compiled a timeline of the known instances of institutional neglect and racialised violence towards Malta’s migrants and asylum-seekers since 2002.
‘The Government needs to stress that racism and prejudice will not be tolerated’ the groups said in a joint statement. ‘Only then can we start to see real change in the public and private sectors. The Government must demonstrate its commitment to ensuring that justice is served and that such acts of racial violence will not go unpunished. Words are simply not enough!’
‘The killing of Lassana is a tragic reminder that we must continue to fight against all forms of racism and bigotry. We stand in solidarity with the family and friends of Lassana, the other 3 victims, and all those who have been affected by racial violence.’
#MaltaDaily
