Latest news with #Al-Abreen
Express Tribune
09-02-2025
- Express Tribune
Nearly 50 bodies found in Libya mass graves amid reports of migrant abuse
Listen to article Libyan authorities have discovered nearly 50 bodies in two mass graves in the country's southeastern desert, as reports of systematic abuse against migrants and refugees continue to surface. The grim discovery underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Libya, which remains a major transit point for migrants seeking to reach Europe. More feared buried The security directorate of Kufra city confirmed in a statement on Sunday that one of the mass graves, found on a farm on Friday, contained 19 bodies. The remains have been taken for autopsy, while authorities continue to search the area based on survivor accounts indicating that nearly 70 people were buried at the site. Al-Abreen, a humanitarian group assisting migrants in Libya's eastern and southern regions, reported that some of the victims had been shot before being buried. The identities and nationalities of the deceased have yet to be confirmed. This is not the first time mass graves containing migrants have been found in Libya. Last year, authorities unearthed at least 65 bodies in the Shuayrif region, south of the capital, Tripoli. Human traffickers have exploited Libya's decade-long instability, smuggling migrants from Africa and the Middle East across the country's porous borders. Libya shares frontiers with six nations, including Chad, Niger, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia, making it a key route for migrants attempting the perilous journey to Europe. Widespread abuse and exploitation Rights groups and UN agencies have long documented severe abuse against migrants in Libya, including forced labor, beatings, torture, and rape. Many asylum seekers face extortion, with traffickers demanding payments from their families before allowing them to board boats bound for Europe. Those intercepted and returned to Libya often end up in government-run detention centers, where conditions are reportedly dire. Human rights organizations have accused authorities of mistreatment, with detainees facing inhumane conditions, sexual violence, and further extortion. Ongoing political turmoil The discovery of mass graves comes amid Libya's continued political instability. The country has been mired in chaos since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. Since then, rival governments in the east and west—each supported by various armed factions and foreign backers—have struggled for control, exacerbating lawlessness and fueling human trafficking networks. As authorities continue their investigation into the mass graves, international organizations are calling for urgent action to address the human rights violations suffered by migrants in Libya.
Al Jazeera
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Libya finds two mass graves with bodies of nearly 50 migrants, refugees
Libya authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies from two mass graves in the country's southeastern desert, in the latest tragedy involving people seeking to reach Europe through the North African country. The security directorate said in a statement on Sunday that one mass grave found on Friday in a farm in the southeastern city of Kufra contained 19 bodies. The remains were taken for autopsy. Mohamed al-Fadeil, head of the security chamber in Kufra, said a second mass grave with at least 30 bodies was also found in the city after authorities raided a migrant detention centre. He added that according to survivor accounts, nearly 70 people were buried in that site and authorities were still searching the area. Al-Abreen, a charity that helps migrants and refugees in eastern and southern Libya, said that some of the people found in the mass graves had been shot and killed before they were buried. Mass graves containing the bodies of asylum seekers have previously been discovered in Libya, the main transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to make it to Europe. Last year, authorities unearthed the bodies of at least 65 migrants in the Shuayrif region, south of the capital Tripoli. Human traffickers have benefited from more than a decade of instability, smuggling migrants and refugees across the country's borders with six nations, including Chad, Niger, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Rights groups and United Nations agencies have for years documented systematic abuse of asylum seekers in Libya including forced labour, beatings, rapes and torture. The abuse often accompanies efforts to extort money from families before they are allowed to leave Libya on traffickers' boats. Those who are intercepted and returned to Libya are held in government-run detention centres where they suffer from abuse, including torture, rape and extortion, according to rights groups and UN experts. The country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich nation has been ruled for most of the past decade by rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by an array of fighter groups and foreign governments.
Arab News
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
2 mass graves with bodies of nearly 50 migrants found in southeastern Libya
CAIRO: Libya authorities uncovered nearly 50 bodies this week from two mass graves in the country's southeastern desert, officials said Sunday, in the latest tragedy involving people seeking to reach Europe through the chaos-stricken North African country. The first mass grave with 19 bodies was found Friday in a farm in the southeastern city of Kufra, the security directorate said in a statement, adding that authorities took them for autopsy. Authorities posted images on its Facebook page showing police officers and medics digging in the sand and recovering dead bodies that were wrapped in blankets. The Al-Abreen charity, which helps migrants in eastern and southern Libya, said that some were apparently shot and killed before being buried in the mass grave. A separate mass grave with at least 30 bodies was also found in Kufra after raiding a human trafficking center, according to Mohamed Al-Fadeil, head of the security chamber in Kufra. Survivors said nearly 70 people were buried in the grave, he added. Authorities were still searching the area. Migrants' mass graves are not uncommon in Libya. Last year, authorities unearthed the bodies of at least 65 migrants in the Shuayrif region, 350 kilometers (220 miles) south of the capital, Tripoli. Libya is the dominant transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to make it to Europe. The country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. Oil-rich Libya has been ruled for most of the past decade by rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by an array of militias and foreign governments. Human traffickers have benefited from more than a decade of instability, smuggling migrants across the country's borders with six nations, including Chad, Niger, Sudan Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Once at the coast, traffickers pack desperate migrants seeking a better life in Europe into ill-equipped rubber boats and other vessels for risky voyages on the perilous Central Mediterranean Sea route. Rights groups and UN agencies have for years documented systematic abuse of migrants in Libya including forced labor, beatings, rapes and torture. The abuse often accompanies efforts to extort money from families before migrants are allowed to leave Libya on traffickers' boats. Those who have been intercepted and returned to Libya — including women and children — are held in government-run detention centers where they also suffer from abuse, including torture, rape and extortion, according to rights groups and UN experts.
