Statement from the AACC Advisory Committee on Peace and Security on the situation of migrants in Libya

The All Africa Conference of Churches has sent this statement:

STATEMENT ON THE ENSLAVEMENT OF AFRICANS IN LIBYA

The AACC Advisory Committee on Peace and Security, a group of eminent persons across the continent, who have held high-level positions both at Church and State level, gathered on December 1^st, 2017, in Nairobi, Kenya, under the auspices of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC),

a) Having analyzed the peace and security situation in Africa and reflected on the underlying causes, 

b) Noting with shock the growing number of young people losing their lives in the Mediterranean Sea and the Sinai desert, the trafficking of their organs, the recent development being their sale as basic commodities,

c) Acknowledging that migration remains a basic right for any individual, recognized by international legal instruments,

d) Commending the many governments who have taken steps to repatriate their citizens and others who have welcomed citizens from other countries,

e) Re-affirming our commitment as an ecumenical organization to promoting human dignity, through the choice of the theme of our upcoming 11^th General Assembly: “Respecting the dignity and God’s image in every human being”,

Hereby resolve and strongly condemn the shameful sale of human beings in Libya,

Call on the government of Libya to stop immediately the auctioning of human beings by their citizens,

Strongly call on African governments to seriously tackle the issues of governance and take concrete measures to accommodate the youth,

Call on AACC member churches to continue creating awareness on the dangers and risks taken by some young people.

Nairobi, 14 December 2017