UN investigators are seeking to verify reports of mass graves believed to contain migrants at a smuggling hub in Libya, according to a report released today that also raped, killed and tortured.
Libya is an important transit point for Africans seeking to make the perilous journey to Europe via the Mediterranean, but many end up being enslaved by militias and traffickers or forced into prostitution.
Many migrants told the UN mission that there were “mass graves” in the desert town of Bunny Wallin, while one migrant testified that he buried three people there in one of these graves.
Asked about the report, Bani Walid Mayor Younis al-Azozi acknowledged that migrants had been abused in the past, but stressed that the situation had improved in recent years and denied the existence of mass graves.
“We deny what was said in the report … No group or organization has come to the city for a long time and we do not know where the members of the research team got their information from,” he said by telephone.
The UN report did not say how many bodies the graves might contain, and mission member Tsaloka Beyani said a newly appointed medical examiner would try to investigate the allegations further.
Many women from East Africa also testified that they were raped and sexually abused.
“When the migrants there heard the word Bunny Wallin, they started crying. They set fire and burned the women’s breasts and vaginas there,” one migrant woman told researchers this month in reports included in the 18-page report to be presented. at the Geneva Human Rights Council this week.
Another Sudanese immigrant in Saba told the UN team that he had been set on fire after his family did not pay a ransom. He later succumbed to his injuries.
The mission report, the second of three based on about 120 interviews conducted between October and March, also highlighted violations affecting the country’s democratic transition, such as intimidating activists and raising concerns about secret prisons allegedly run by rival militants. militias.
Libya has been in turmoil for a decade since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising. A relative escalation of fighting has prevailed since 2020, but UN-backed efforts to hold elections as part of a peace process collapsed in December, intensifying the political crisis.
Tsaloka Beyani, one of the three members of the mission, described the situation for migrants in Libya as “horrible” and called for technical assistance to help Libya hold the perpetrators accountable.
The mission is seeking an extension of its work beyond the end of June, when it is expected to submit its final report.
SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
