In west of Bani Walid Libya in the evening of May 23, more than one hundred migrants and refugees who had been held captive by human traffickers in the area managed to flee. In the attempt to escape, most of them were shot which resulted to 25 people injured and several casualties. According to a local source, the refugees who are mostly teenagers from Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea found themselves in the clutches of human traffickers who sold them multiple times between Bani Walid and Nesma.
Survivors of the attack told MSF that close to 15 people were dead and 40 are still left behind with the captivators. Visible marks of electrical burns, scarred bodies, and old infected wounds give an idea of the suffering they have passed through.
“All necessary measures must be taken to ensure that the survivors can access the required treatment and to protect these extremely vulnerable people from further harm after surviving such atrocities. Arbitrary detention cannot be a solution. They are in urgent need of protection and assistance”, said Christophe Biteau, MSF Head of mission.
This is another example of the ongoing horrors suffered by many migrants and refugees while transiting through Libya.