Bodies of migrants have been found near an “illegal” detention center in southeastern Libya and farther north toward Benghazi, along the route used by exiles from the Horn of Africa.
How were these mass graves discovered?
Following police raids, emaciated migrants were freed from an informal detention camp. During the operation, two mass graves were found. The first, containing at least 28 bodies, was located in the southeastern desert near Kufra, one of the main entry points into Libya for refugees. The second, with 19 bodies, was in Jakharrah, about 400 kilometers south of the coastal city of Benghazi, which is controlled by Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The victims, migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, have not been identified.
The International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency, confirmed that some of the bodies showed gunshot wounds. Others bore scars on their faces, limbs, and backs. The authorities in eastern Libya are not the only ones implicated in such horrors. In March 2024, the IOM reported that another mass grave with “at least 65 migrant bodies” had been found in the southwest, in an area controlled by the rival Tripoli-based government.
Who is responsible, and what was the motive?
An investigation revealed the existence of a “gang that kidnapped irregular migrants, tortured them, and subjected them to cruel, degrading, and inhumane treatment,” according to Libya’s attorney general’s office.
Between 60,000 and 100,000 Sudanese are believed to have entered Libya in 2024, fleeing the civil war that has gripped their country since April 15, 2023. Many take the southeastern route, where organized gangs thrive. “Those who can afford to pay at every stage of their journey are safe. But migrants without money lose control over their path and cannot pay for their own well-being,” said Jalel Harchaoui of the U.K.-based Royal United Services Institute. According to Harchaoui, “there is always a guard or an officer looking to profit from their presence.”
This exploitation can escalate into forced labor, sex trafficking, and torture for ransom. Those deemed worthless can be killed as an example, creating an atmosphere of fear. The IOM recorded 965 migrant deaths and disappearances in Libya in 2024, with 22% occurring on routes where fatalities often go unreported.
What can the international community do?
The IOM has urged “all governments and authorities along migrant trafficking routes to strengthen regional cooperation to protect migrants, regardless of their status.” A plea has been made to Italy and the rest of Europe, where most migrants hope to go.
But Harchaoui remains skeptical. “It would take a military intervention in Libya, but no one wants to challenge Haftar’s dominance. His totalitarian system is backed by everyone—from Turkey to Qatar.”
As for the European Union, it relies on Libyan authorities to control migration across the Mediterranean. In 2024, irregular entries detected along the central Mediterranean route dropped 59% to 67,000, due to a “decrease in departures from Tunisia and Libya,” according to the EU border agency Frontex.
Reproduced with permission by La Croix International.
