Libya And The Ugly Slave Trade

Once upon a time, Libya was a country that many a man will like to visit. Indeed, the buoying oil industry, coupled with the then Libyan leader, the late Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s pan-African philosophy attracted migrants from other countries, including Africans to explore the country for economic benefits.

We had lots of Africans, especially from the West African sub-region go to Libya or use the place as a transit to Europe and other parts of the world for greener pastures.

Unfortunately, Libya descended into chaos and has become a failed state after the West supported an uprising to overthrow the Gaddafi regime leading to his death, for allegedly backing terrorist group, abuse of human rights and lack of democracy.

For over six years, Libya has not known peace, law and order had broken down and regrettably huge stock of arms have been let lose into the country and are used by terror  groups to cause mayhem, including abuse of human rights of  migrants  who are caught up in the crises.

Sadly, video footage of Black Africans being subjected to inhuman treatments including being sold openly as slaves, has gone viral on social media, evoking the painful memories of the slave trade that humanity has put behind it centuries ago and moving on with the cherished values of human dignity and equality of man as espoused by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The degrading as well as dehumanising spectacles have attracted worldwide condemnation, yet nothing is being done to stop the bandits.

We join hands with those on social media and other campaigners to call for an end to the inhuman and barbaric slave trade in Libya!

Rightly, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, took to the Flagstaff house facebook page to express his indignation at what is happening in Libya in the following words “The current slave auctions of Africans in Libya are not only gross and scandalous abuses of human rights, but are also mockeries of the alleged solidarity of African nations grouped in the African Union of which Libya is a member country.”

We add our voice to the sentiments expressed by the President and express the hope that the African Union would act and of course very swiftly to bring Libya to order and more importantly stop this heinous crime of human trade.

Human beings cannot be sold under any circumstance; human value is beyond monetary consideration! The people engaged in these barbaric acts in Libya must stop it and bow down their head in shame! It is ungodly ugly and “unAfrican.”

We at the Ghanaian Times, therefore, urge the AU and the West to act and act now to stop this heinous crime against humanity and help to restore law and order and return Libya once more to the comity of civility.