Seadogs: It’s shocking that slave trade is ongoing in Africa

The National Association of Seadogs, a humanitarian organisation, has condemned the slave trade in Libya.

In a statement, the group said it finds it shocking that despite the abolition of slave trade, the practice is still on-going in Africa.

It however lauded the response of the Nigerian government to evacuate all Nigerians trapped in Libya, while calling on the government of other countries to do same.

“The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) condemns in the strongest terms, the recent instances of the dehumanization, brutalization, buying and selling and, in some cases, cold-blooded murder of African refugees and economic migrants who were engaged in the perilous trek from their various home countries to Europe via Libya,” the statement read.

“We find it absolutely shocking that these many years after the abolition of slavery in the West in the 1800s, the heinous practices of slave trade and slaveholding are being perpetrated in Africa against Africans by other Africans, as shown in recent televised reports by the cable news network, CNN!

“Nothing about the barbaric treatment of these migrants as shown in the television reports has any place in the modern world.

“It is heartwarming to note that the Nigerian government is making concerted efforts to repatriate Nigerian citizens who are trapped in this vicious circle of death and destruction. By the same token, we appeal that the governments of other countries whose citizens are trapped in Libya to follow suit and rescue them immediately!

“Beyond such short-term responses to the recent revelations about thriving slave trade in Libya however, we strongly demand that Nigerian and other African leaders must start taking appropriate steps to address the root causes of desperate economic migration of young Africans.

“In this regard, a lot of work would be required in the areas of basic infrastructure, reliable public transportation, basic healthcare, quality and affordable (if not free) basic education, and poverty alleviation.

“In addition, we call on the Libyan authorities and the appropriate United Nations bodies to undertake an independent and full-scale investigation into the recent revelations in Libya with a view to identifying the perpetrators and promptly bringing them to justice.

“Any failure in undertaking the above measures would certainly be one failure too many!”