Libya slave trade: Damning reports of migrants 'being sold like goats'

CTV News Channel: Needs more attention, pressure Free Them founder Shae Invidiata says the slave trade in Libya deserves global attention and more pressure on governments.

World leaders are condemning a video that appears to show people being “sold like goats” in Libya, where hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants are trapped and at the mercy of their human traffickers.

Reports suggest some human smugglers have begun auctioning off the people who paid them for transport into Europe, due to difficulties with sneaking them through European borders. It’s estimated some 400,000-700,000 migrants are currently trapped in Libya, a nation is on the verge of chaos since the fall of Moammar Gadhafi.

The slavery concerns come after an undercover CNN reporter recorded video of an alleged slave auction involving 12 Nigerians in Libya, in which Arabic-speaking auctioneers tout the digging abilities of their “merchandise,” and ask for the equivalent of US$400-800 per person. CNN also released a video, obtained from an anonymous source, which also appears to show people being auctioned off for money.

The CNN report sparked angry protests outside the Libyan embassy in Paris and condemnations from a number of international bodies, including the United Nations.

“I am horrified by news reports and video footage showing African migrants in Libya reportedly being sold as slaves,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, in a statement issued Nov. 20. “I abhor these appalling acts and call upon all competent authorities to investigate these activities without delay and to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Guterres also called for the international community to address the migrant crisis.

On Thursday, the chairman of the African Union Commission called migrant camp conditions in Libya “inhuman,” and urged African and European leaders to step in.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the UN is discussing how best to target human traffickers.

“These smugglers are deeply linked to many terrorist networks and feed, sometimes finance, sometimes are the same as those who make war with us and who kill people every day in much of northern Africa,” Macron told France 24 and RFI, in French.

Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari said he was appalled that some displaced citizens were “being sold like goats for a few dollars in Libya.”

On Wednesday, the UN, the African Union and the EU announced a special task force to “save and protect lives of migrants and refugees along the routes and in particular inside Libya.”

Some in the Libyan media have raised doubts about the authenticity of the CNN slave auction video, citing U.S. President Donald Trump’s frequent claims that the news outlet is “fake news.”

With files from The Associated Press