By Odinta Christiana
Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, has criticized Libya over migrant slave markets, saying the abuses call into question wider African unity.
A furore over the auctions is expected to dominate discussions between African Union and European Union at a two-day summit starting Wednesday in Ivory Coast’s economic capital, Abidjan.
Akufo-Addo condemned the practice in a post on his Twitter account late on Tuesday, calling it “gross and scandalous” abuse of human rights.
But he also said the auctions made “mockeries of the alleged solidarity of African nations grouped in the African Union, of which Libya is a member”.
The AU has called for “urgent measures” to stop the abuse of black Africans in Libya, which critics say has been fuelled by EU-Libyan cooperation to curb migrant crossings to Europe.
The EU for its part said it would pressure the UN-backed government in Libya to prosecute the slave traders and push for improvements in conditions at migrant detention centres.