On Monday, the US Embassy in Libya voiced Its deep concern over the alleged abuses against migrants in Libya, and vowed to use its powers to hold perpetrators accountable.
A report by the UN Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) cited evidence of crimes against humanity committed against migrants in Libya, including women being forced into sex slavery.
Investigators collected nearly 2,800 items of information documenting numerous cases of abuse against migrants, including arbitrary detention, murder, torture, rape, enslavement, sexual slavery, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances.
“We stand with the Libyan people and will continue to use the tools and authorities at our disposal, including in the HRC [Human Rights Council], to seek accountability for all human rights abusers,” the Embassy said in a statement
It also renewed its calls for the expedited removal of all foreign forces from the country.
On Sunday, the Libyan Foreign Ministry rejected the FFM report, and called for information about the victims of violence and sex slavery to be presented to the authorities.
Earlier today, the Africa Defense Forum magazine, which is published by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), calculated the economic cost of terrorism in Africa to be at least $119 billion dollars from 2007 to 2016.
The total is much higher when factors such as extra security, refugee costs, and lost informal economic activity are accounted for. Libya, Mali, Nigeria, and Somalia — the four countries considered to be Africa’s epicenter for violent extremism — accounted for $103 billion, or 94%, of the total.
Over the past 12 years, terrorism has cost the African continent a total of $171.7 billion dollars.
Nevertheless, the index describes its estimates as “very conservative”, explaining that the economic damage is “much higher” if the loss of commercial investments and tourism are also measured. Additionally, the index does not take into account the impact on economic activity and additional security spending.
