Our new Libyan friends.

JANZOUR, Libya — When the sun sets on the refugee camp for black Africans that has sprung up at the marina in this town six miles west of Tripoli, the women here brace for the worst.

The rebels who ring the camp suddenly open fire. Then they race into the camp, shouting “gabbour, gabbour” — Arabic for whore — and haul away young women, residents say.

“You should be here in the evening, when they come in firing their guns and taking people,” one woman from Nigeria said Wednesday as she recounted the nightly raids on the camp. “They don’t use condoms, they use whatever they can find,” she said, pointing to a discarded plastic bag in a pile of trash.

As she spoke, other women standing nearby nodded in agreement.

The International Red Cross says it’s spoken with rebel commanders over “security concerns”, but aide workers in the camp are prohibited from discussing the allegations on record.

Human rights advocates have decried what appears to be mistreatment of black African workers, and U.S. Ambassador Gene Cretz, speaking in Washington on Wednesday, admitted it’s a growing problem.

“We’ve seen fairly credible reports that there has been some mistreatment of African migrants,” Cretz told McClatchy. He said the U.S. was trying to work with rebel leaders to prevent abuse, which he blamed on young rebels who are confusing Africans who might have fought as mercenaries for Gadhafi with the hundreds of thousands of sub-Saharan Africans who were working in Libya when the rebels took over.

“We don’t think it’s a systematic or intentional problem on the part of the Libyan authorities,” Cretz said. “It’s something that’s happening at levels below that, which is of considerable concern to us.”

Cretz said the rebels’ National Transitional Council is working with the United Nations and other international relief organizations to ease the situation.

However, nothing appears to have been done at the camp. A local rebel commander insists nothing has happened at the camp and he’s heard no reports of problems. He says those with complaints should “bring a letter” to his headquarters. Otherwise, nothing’s changed.

European television cameras were present when armed rebels drove into the camp. Someone said they were looking for laborers. Camp residents emboldened by the presence of western media confronted the men, who — following intervention by a translator for the western media outlets — drive off.

There are also shortages of food and water at the camp. Residents were apparently drinking seawater until clean water arrived just two days ago. Libyan fishermen who permitted the use of their boats for shelter now want the vessels back. There’s no water for showers or basic hygiene.

Clearly a well-planned humanitarian operation. Did anyone bother to check on these rebels before we started serving as their de facto air force and overthrowing the dictator who was keeping the Islamists in check?