The bane going on in Libya is blot on the conscience of the world. Something should – must be – done about it. Many young people who come from West African countries passing through Libya with the intention of reaching mainland Europe are being captured in Libya and sold to the highest bidders.
This is a shame considering the horrible nature of slavery which for many years characterized the Africans and their relationships with the West and indeed the rest of the world. The truth is that, that unfortunate part of the history of Africa and Africans continues to this day to define the status of most, if not all, Africans.
Seeing Africans therefore capturing and selling each other brings back the memories of a terrible and horrendous past which should be wiped out from us completely, and for good. This therefore lays a huge burden of responsibility on African governments, particularly West African governments, whose citizens form the majority of the captured migrants.
The government of the Gambia, knowing that many of those who are captured and sold into slavery in Libya are Gambians, should work with the regional bloc ECOWAS to ensure that these African migrants are released and repatriated to their countries without further delay. It is disheartening to learn that our people are being sold into slavery, the worst type of crime one can imagine.
This is totally unacceptable and it is sad that up until now our governments have not taken any decisive stance on the issue of the migrants being abused in Libya. When will they be jolted into action to ensure that something is done about our brothers and sisters in that country? In this 21st Century, no human being should be put in such heinous situations as being sold into slavery.
The Economic Community of West African States must be proactive and work towards ensuring that these people are returned home as soon as possible.
