A total of 93 bodies have been recovered from two mass graves in Libya following raids on human trafficking networks, the United Nations announced on Wednesday.
One of the graves was discovered on February 7 at a farm in Jakharrah in northeastern Libya, while the second was found a day later in Kufra in the southeast, UN Under-Secretary-General for African Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council.
However, she did not specify how many bodies were recovered at each location.
Libyan authorities had previously reported the discovery of 28 bodies in Kufra, near a site where sub-Saharan migrants were allegedly detained and tortured.
The grave was uncovered after a raid on a human trafficking network, during which authorities rescued 76 migrants.
The Libyan attorney general’s office stated that the operation targeted a gang that had deliberately deprived illegal immigrants of their freedom, tortured them, and subjected them to cruel, humiliating, and inhumane treatment.
Days later, the United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration reported the discovery of the second mass grave in Jakharrah.
Libya, a major transit point for migrants attempting to reach Europe, has remained unstable since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that led to the ousting of longtime ruler Moamer Kadhafi.
The country is still divided between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Taking advantage of this instability, human traffickers and smugglers have turned Libya into a hub for illegal migration, often subjecting migrants to brutal conditions.
