Former President Jerry John Rawlings has urged the Government and citizens of Libya to treat Black African migrants humanely, saying, “We are all creations of the one Allah, but disfigured by the shameless greed and corruption of man.”
Commenting on the reported atrocities being meted out to Black African migrants in Libya, Former President Rawlings stated, “How sad that events should turn out this way and the black man is being subjected to this kind of treatment in Libya of all places.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”gw58cKBbBvJ9luwDEbW8BsIWmSfFxBY6″]“And I say so with emphasis because whatever faults Gaddafi had, blacks were treated as equals in Libya than in most Arab countries.”
Former President Rawlings said while those frightening experiences may serve as a deterrent to the use of Libya as a gateway to Europe, “we must still add our voices to the call to our Libyan brothers to show a little more compassion to our vulnerable black African brothers and sisters.”
168 Ghanaian detainees in Libya to return home
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier said they are facilitating the return of some 168 Ghanaians who have been detained in Libya.
A statement from the Ministry said the 168, who were thought to be victims of a torturous slave trade activity in Libya, were rather illegal migrants arrested by the Libyan government.
The Ministry said it was working together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to get the identified Ghanaians back into the country via a chartered flight from Tripoli.
“The undocumented Ghanaians were immediately issued with the necessary travel documents to facilitate their repatriation to Ghana on a chartered flight, with support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).”
Slave trade in Libya a mockery of African unity – Nana Addo
Reports of African migrants in Libya being sold into slavery and being subjected to other atrocities, make a mockery of African unity, President Akufo-Addo has said.
Pictures of slave markets and gross abuse of black Africans are awash on social media after CNN uncovered the disturbing human trade in the once safe country that is now in tatters after the overthrow of Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi.
The heartbreaking images also showed some migrants being tortured to death by individuals in Libyan military wears.
There has been a wave of condemnations across Africa, especially due to the silence of the continent’s leaders and groups like the AU and ECOWAS over the incident.
In a statement on social media, President Akufo-Addo condemned the slave auctions, which were brought to light in a special report by CNN.
Men from Niger and other sub-Saharan countries were seen being sold to buyers for about $400 in Libya.
“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 (AU), of which Libya is a member,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
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Source: GNA/with files from Citifmonline.com/Ghana