Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian migrants expressed relief as they arrived home on Tuesday from Libya, describing the “hell” of harsh conditions in detention camps where they had been held. African heads of state have condemned the treatment of undocumented migrants in Libya, including widespread violence and apparent slave trading. …
Read More »Rwanda praised for Libya `slaves’ offer
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | Rwanda has offered to provide refuge to as many as 30,000 African migrants suffering abuse and slave-like conditions in Libya. Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo, who made the announcement on Nov. 22, said the figure “is not confirmed yet but an estimate”. “It has just …
Read More »Nearly 1,300 Nigerians repatriated from Libya in November
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nearly 1,300 Nigerian migrants were brought home from Libya in November — nearly twice as many as in the previous month, the head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Friday. “1,295 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in November after being stranded in …
Read More »Slavery scandal overshadows EU-Africa summit
Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP | Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara demanded action Wednesday to combat migrant slave trading in Libya, as the issue dominated a Europe-Africa summit meant to focus on long-term growth and stability. Summit host Ouattara lashed slavery as a “wretched drama which recalls the worst hours …
Read More »Libya slave auctions hurt African unity: Ghana
Accra, Ghana | AFP | Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, has criticised Libya over migrant slave markets, saying the abuses call into question wider African unity. A furore over the auctions is expected to dominate discussions between African Union and European Union at a two-day summit starting Wednesday in Ivory Coast’s …
Read More »HRW condemns summary executions in eastern Libya
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Human Rights Watch on Wednesday condemned a series of summary executions of dozens of people in areas of eastern Libya under the control of controversial strongman Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The New York-based watchdog called on Haftar’s Libyan National Army to make good on a …
Read More »UN wants Libya to agree to shut down migrant camps
United Nations, United States | AFP | The United Nations wants Libya’s internationally-backed government to agree to shut down 30 detention centers holding 15,000 migrants, most of whom will be sent back to their countries, the head of the IOM said Tuesday. The detention of the migrants, most of whom …
Read More »UN to discuss tougher response to Libya slave auctions: France
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council must take stronger measures, possibly including sanctions, to put a stop to slave auctions in Libya, the French ambassador said Monday. France has requested an urgent meeting of the council for Tuesday, a week after the top UN body held …
Read More »Trudeau urges international community to fight Libyan slavery
Ottawa, Canada | AFP | Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday urged the international community to “do more” following reports of the “abhorrent and despicable” enslavement of vulnerable African refugees arriving in Libya. “Canada will not stay silent in the face of such inhumane atrocities,” Trudeau said in a statement …
Read More »EU working without ‘letup’ to help migrants in Libya
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The EU said Thursday it is working without “letup” for a durable solution to the plight of migrants in Libya, adding it shared French President Emmanuel Macron’s anger over slave markets there. The US network CNN triggered a wave of condemnation when it aired footage last …
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