On April 6th, 2019, Lassana Cisse, a 42-year-old man from the Ivory Coast, was shot and killed in Birżebbuġa, Malta, in a racially motivated attack, where two other victims Ibrahim Bah and Mohammed Jallow were also left for dead. The two suspects were identified as off-duty Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) soldiers, who allegedly targeted the victims because of their skin colour. Just a few months before, the same two perpetrators deliberately ran over May Malimi, a young man from Chad, whilst he was also walking in Birżebbuġa. 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.

This heinous act was intended to terrorise and instil fear within the black migrant community. The self-confidence of the two suspects was fueled by years of political rhetoric and inhumane immigration policies that suggested that migrants of colour and black migrants may be treated as inferior people. For far too long, political discourse and punishing policies have fanned the flames of racial prejudice, while others have condoned such discrimination through their deafening silence.

The Government needs to stress that racism and prejudice will not be tolerated. 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! Whilst the launch of the anti-racism strategy is a step in the right direction, real change requires a transparent review of all structures, policies and social norms, and a concerted effort to address systemic racism at its roots.

aditus foundation has compiled a timeline of the known instances of institutional neglect and racialised violence that records Malta’s long and shameful history in its treatment of migrants and asylum-seekers that have reached our shores since 2002. This shocking and shameful timeline speaks for itself.

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.

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Stqarrija Konġunta għall-Istampa – 06/04/2023

Ir-raba’ anniversarju mill-qtil b’mottiv razzjali ta’ Lassana Cisse

Fis-6 ta’ April 2019, Lassana Cisse, raġel ta’ 42 sena mill-Kosta tal-Avorju, inqatel f’Birżebbuġa, Malta, f’attakk b’mottiv razzjali, fejn żewġ vittmi oħra, Ibrahim Bah u Mohammed Jallow ukoll ġew milquta. Iż-żewġ suspettati ġew identifikati bħala suldati off-duty tal-Forzi Armati ta’ Malta (AFM), li allegatament immiraw għall-vittmi minħabba l-kulur tal-ġilda tagħhom. Ftit xhur biss qabel, l-istess żewġ ħatja attakaw lil May Malimi, żagħżugħ miċ-Ċad, waqt li kien ukoll miexi f’Birżebbuġa. Għaddew erba’ snin u l-familja ta’ Lassana u t-tliet vittmi l-oħra għadhom qed jistennew ul-ġustizzja, filwaqt li s-suspettati qegħdin barra bil-libertà proviżorja.

Dan l-att faħxi kien maħsub biex jitterrorizza u jqajjem il-biża’ fil-komunità tal-immigranti suwed. Il-kunfidenza li kellhom iż-żewġ suspettati kienet imħeġġa minn snin ta’ retorika politika u policies inumani dwar l-immigrazzjoni, retorika li tissuġġerixi li immigranti suwed jistgħu jiġu ttrattati bħala nies inferjuri. Għal wisq żmien, id-diskors politiku u l-policies ta’ kastig qawwew il-fjammi tal-preġudizzju razzjali. Xi oħrajn aċċetaw tali diskriminazzjoni permezz tas-silenzju tagħhom.

Jeħtieġ li l-Gvern jisħaq li r-razziżmu u l-preġudizzju mhux se jkunu tollerati. Hekk biss nistgħu nibdew naraw bidla reali fis-settur pubbliku u privat. Il-Gvern irid juri l-impenn tiegħu biex jiżgura li ssir ġustizzja u li atti ta’ vjolenza razzjali bħal dawn ma jibqgħux bla kastig. Il-paroli mhux biżżejjed! Filwaqt li t-tnedija tal-istrateġija kontra r-razziżmu hija pass fid-direzzjoni t-tajba, il-bidla reali teħtieġ reviżjoni trasparenti tal-istrutturi, il-policies u n-normi soċjali kollha. Għandu jkun hemm sforz miftiehem biex jiġi indirizzat ir-razziżmu sistemiku fl-għeruq tiegħu.

Il-fondazzjoni aditus ġabret lista ta’ każijiet magħrufa ta’ negliġenza istituzzjonali u vjolenza razzjali li turi l-istorja twila u tal-mistħija ta’ Malta fit-trattament tagħha tal-immigranti u dawk li jfittxu l-ażil li waslu fi xtutna mill-2002 s’issa. Dan il-kalendarju xokkanti u tal-mistħija jitkellem waħdu.

Il-qtil ta’ Lassana għandu jfakkarna kemm irridu nkomplu niġġieldu kontra kull forma ta’ razziżmu u fanatiżmu. Solidarjetà mal-familja u l-ħbieb ta’ Lassana, it-3 vittmi l-oħra, u dawk kollha li ġew affettwati mill-vjolenza razzjali.

Organisations:

1. aditus foundation
2. African Media Association Malta
3. Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar
4. Allied Rainbow Communities
5. Anti-Poverty Forum
6. Association for Justice, Equality and Peace
7. Black Lives Matter Malta
8. Blue Door Education
9. Caritas Malta
10. Dance Beyond Borders
11. Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
12. Dar Hosea
13. Dar tal-Providenza
14. Good Shepherd Sisters – Dar Merhba Bik Foundation
15. Humanists Malta
16. Integra Foundation
17. JRS Malta
18. Kopin
19. Kummissjoni Ġustizzja u Paċi
20. Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ
21. Malta House of Prayer Foundation
22. Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement
23. Men against Violence 
24. Migrant Women Association Malta
25. Migrants Commission
26. Millenium Chapel
27. Moviment Graffitti
28. OASI Foundation
29. Office of the Dean Faculty for Social Wellbeing
30. Office of the Dean Faculty of Education
31. Paulo Freire Institute Foundation
32. PEN Malta
33. People for Change Foundation
34. Repubblika
35. SAR Malta Network
36. SKOP
37. Social Assistance Secretariat
38. SOS Malta
39. The Critical Institute
40. The Maltese Association of Social Workers (MASW)
41. Victim Support Malta
42. Women’s Rights Foundation
43. YMCA
44. Young Progressive Beings