Arthur K on Slaves in Libya!
Over a century and a half after the abolition of slavery in the US through the 13th amendment and in the British Empire through the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, slavery is thriving in Libya!
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Africa's leadership, joined by the world is expressing outrage following a CNN report documenting the sale of African migrants into slavery in Libya. There have been condemnations from the U.N., A.U and a number of African countries.
The UN Human Rights Commissioner called what the migrants face "unimaginable horrors" while the AU chair called their treatment "despicable" and French President Macron called it "a crime against humanity".
Nigeria and Ghana have repatriated 240 and 127 of their detained nationals respectively.
There is a lot of hypocrisy here. If the International Organization of Migration (IOM) has repatriated 13 thousand migrants from Libyan detention camps in the last year, how could they not know of slavery in the camps?
If the affected African countries have embassies in Libya, how could they not know? How did it take CNN to expose this? Where was Africa's loud media?
The hypocrites are being called out in earnest by the Libyans. Emad Badi, a Libyan activist wrote, "The international community keeps turning a blind eye when it comes to Libya and migration. Newsflash: there is no coastguard; slavery is not new, interception at sea breeds internal problems, expecting the nationally contested Government of National Accord to handle migration is foolish".
Of course, as is typical of Africa, Ghana and Nigeria repatriated their citizens and left the smuggling rings, the detention camps and the slave traders in place, ensuring that the slavery will continue.
Despite the travel risks and the deaths in the Sahara and on the Mediterranean sea, half a million migrants reached Italy in the last 3 years. Opportunities in Europe and hopeless conditions in Africa are driving the migrants.
It defies commonsense that Nigerians, with all their oil and other resources should seek opportunities elsewhere.
How can Africa's youth be dying in migration when we have 46% of the world's arable land and spend 50 billion USD importing food every year?
We must dismantle the smuggling rings and detention centres in Libya, by force if necessary!
Did I hear someone invoke Libyan sovereignty? We should have considered that before signing off on Gaddafi's murder. If Libyan sovereignty could be ignored to get Gaddafi, it can be ignored to save the enslaved.
Next, we must negotiate temporary guest worker programs with Europe.
Finally, we must start creating real jobs that pay living wages at home so our youth can have a life of dignity at home.
That was what Gaddafi did for Libya. The freedom from hunger and want matters at least as much as the right to vote.
Africa must arise!!
Arthur K
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