By Israel
Ebije
Activities of slave merchants trading off migrants stuck in Libya have earned the country a reputation once
an exclusive preserve of countries like Italy ,
France , Portugal , Britain
and Spain , which shipped
Blacks from Africa in 1492 to work in farms as
slaves. While it was marginally understandable for the Whites to subject Blacks
to slavery based on the repugnant concept of racial superiority, the Libya notoriety
is abysmal, condemnable and bereft of explanations. Their victims are sold for
as low as $400 to a lifetime of hard labor.
The quest for greener pastures has always been the driving
force behind migration of Africans to largely hostile territories. In recent
times, the fear of terrorist activities has worsened the economic downturn in
many African countries like Somalia
and Sudan , while the Boko
Haram menace ravages parts of northern Nigeria ,
Cameroon and Chad . Other countries
known to migrate through the channel include Ghana ,
Zambia , Senegal and Gambia . Unknown to most migrants
who are often deceived by so called travel agents, the countries of their
dreams are very hostile, just as their transit terrains in parts of Africa . The unyielding sea, the unforgiving desert all
add up to bring death to migrants often running from less difficult challenges
in their African home bases.
Slavery is not the lowest point of the migration tragedy in Libya , but the level of killings and
prostitution that characterise daily living in Tripoli and its environs is escalating and
quite disheartening. Most of the traffickers have offices located in parts of West Africa . Agadez and Zinder are notorious havens for
the syndicate who often promise their victims better fortunes in Europe . Slave traders collect $750 to $1500 to cargo
humans across the treacherous desert to Sabha, near Libya – where most migrants begin a
journey of torture, horror and death.
It is curious to note that Libya has joined other slave
markets of the modern world. India
tops the list of notorious countries engaged in legal slavery with an estimated
slave population of 14.3 million people. Other countries include China , with 3.2 million, Pakistan , with 2.1 million and Uzbekistan ,
with 1.2 million estimated modern slaves. With the exception of the medieval
kind of slavery in Libya
characterised by torture, prostitution and murder, the aforementioned countries
have people working to keep food in their stomachs in the harshest conceivable
conditions for a human.
What many migrants miss out in their travel plans is the
risk factor. While some will be overtly desperate to exit their deplorable life
in their home countries, many are only told of the George Orwell “sugar-candy
mountain”, which often turns out to be their El-Dorado of none existent
treasures. President Muhammadu Buhari has joined other leaders of the world to
condemn the bestiality against African migrants in Libya , which is the right thing to
do, but it is a very short-term measure. A long term plan is needed to end
Nigerians’ desperate quest to migrate to Europe .
It is important for governments in affected countries to
educate their citizens through all possible media outlets of the evil involved
in illegal migration. The most bizarre revelation from victims fortunate to
return after their ordeal is the fact that fellow Nigerians and other fellow
African country men and women are involved in the trade.
Those who experienced the horrible slave business, aside
losing their integrity, sometimes came back without their limbs, vital organs
and personal possessions. Most will never recover, as some are already inching
towards their graves on account of permanent medical impairment.
Reasons for migration in Africa
are associated with bad governance; corruption, poor administrative policies,
poverty, insecurity, unemployment, absence of social amenities, poor healthcare
and dilapidated infrastructure, just to mention a few. If leaders in African
countries are patriotic, avoid self seeking agenda, resources will definitely
be used to improve the wellbeing of ordinary citizens.
In Nigeria ,
politicians who account for only a fragment of the entire population are super
rich, while the larger population struggles to eat. The migration debacle will
continue if there are no green pastures in home countries of desperate
Africans. It is, therefore, necessary to assert that dearth of leadership is to
blame for the Libya
slave market.
For the aggrieved world, words of discontent alone may only
amount to hoopla, and not necessarily end the slavery, except sanctions are
deployed to stimulate positive action. Ghadhafi’s exit after forty years in
power in Libya
has left the country without a true leader. Libya is sadly a failed state.
Miscreants have become the law and the government, which has its
tail between its legs, is only capable of barking like a sick puppy. The world
must fix Libya
to contain the menace of savagery fast become a way of life among its crime
syndicate.
*Ebije is a commentator on public issues (ebijeo5@gmail.com)
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