Slave markets are alive and well in Libya, with refugees and migrants — individual human beings — bought and sold for just a few hundred US dollars.
A fall 2017 CNN investigation identified at least nine sites in Libya where slave markets have been held, and these vile markets are believed to be more widespread. The tenuous stability of Libya's ruling government makes it difficult to know just how prevalent modern slavery is in Libya, but the investigation has already sparked international outrage and protests in Paris.
The global anger is understandable. Slavery is evil, and its cancer must be removed wherever it's found.
Beatings, rape, forced labor, and terrible living conditions — these are stories from people whose lives have been sold. They are migrants, and many spent all they have to flee the home lands. Many were only released after their families found ways to pay steep ransoms.
Unfortunately, Libya's struggling government seems unlikely to be able to make good on its promise to investigate CNN's findings and close down the slave markets. That's where you — and the African Union — come in.
This 55-nation African Union was established to promote stability, human rights, and opportunity across Africa. If the continent is to succeed in this new century, then its leaders must help Libya's government close these evil markets.
No person should be bought or sold. Sign this petition to the African Union to offer Libya additional personnel, resources, and technical assistance to end these morally repugnant human markets.
