Libyan authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies in two mass graves in the country’s southeastern desert, officials said Sunday, highlighting the deadly risks faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe.
The first grave, containing 19 bodies, was discovered Friday at a farm in Kufra, the city’s security directorate said. Authorities released images of police and medical personnel exhuming the remains, which were wrapped in blankets. The al-Abreen charity, which aids migrants in eastern and southern Libya, reported that some victims appeared to have been shot.
In a separate incident, a second grave with at least 30 bodies was found in Kufra after a raid on a human trafficking site, said Mohamed al-Fadeil, head of the city’s security chamber. Survivors claimed around 70 people had been buried there, prompting an ongoing search.
Mass graves of migrants are not uncommon in Libya. Last year, authorities discovered at least 65 bodies in Shuayrif, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) south of Tripoli.
Libya remains a key transit hub for migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to reach Europe. The country has been in turmoil since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted and killed longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. Rival governments, backed by militias and foreign actors, have controlled much of Libya since.
Human traffickers exploit this instability, smuggling migrants across Libya’s borders with Chad, Niger, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia. Many are crammed into unsafe boats for the dangerous Mediterranean crossing.
Rights groups and UN agencies have documented widespread abuse of migrants in Libya, including forced labor, beatings, rape, and torture, often as part of extortion schemes. Those intercepted and returned to Libya are detained in government-run centers, where they face further mistreatment, according to rights organizations and UN experts.
Source: UNB
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
