TRIPOLI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed government in Tripoli launched an investigation into the immigrant slave markets recently reported by some media, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.
"The government has started investigating into media reports about some human trafficking criminals involved in slave markets. Investigations and prosecution will concern all those involved in the crimes," Salah Abu-Rgiga, African affairs official of the Foreign Ministry, said in a joint press conference in Tripoli with 14 African ambassadors.
"Criminal gangs have exploited absence of collective responsibility to obtain resources to fund their criminal and terrorist schemes through human trafficking by mediating to transport migrants to the other side of the Mediterranean, or to recruit them as terrorist mercenaries," Abu-Rgiga added.
CNN published a report recently of auctions in different parts of Libya, where stranded African migrants were sold as slaves for as little as 400 U.S. dollars.
Abu-Rgiga called on the international community to cooperate with Libya against migrant smuggling and to "adopt effective measures instead of exploiting such unfortunate events by some international parties and blame Libya in order to cover their inability to deal with the issue of migration."
Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo to Tripoli, Ambilo Ambogol, expressed "surprise to such rejected criminal acts."
"We were shocked to see such acts carried out by criminal networks against the people of the dark continent," Ambogol said, expressing satisfaction that the Libyan government is opening an immediate and comprehensive investigation to track down those involved in such crimes.
"We listened to the position of the government. They have informed us of the necessity to convey their extreme rejection and resentment against criminal acts to African leaders," Ambogol added.
"We are waiting for the investigations to be completed. All the facts related to this issue will be revealed and announced with all transparency and without delay, because we apply the law on everyone without exception," Abu-Rgiga told Xinhua following the press conference.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad M'etig expressed resentment over the media reports on expanding slave trade in the suburbs of the capital Tripoli.
M'etig said in a statement that a special committee will be formed to investigate into the reports to arrest those involved.
