NGOs Condemn EU Funding for Libya Following Discovery of Mass Grave

Paris – On Tuesday, approximately thirty international organizations urged the European Union to suspend its funding to Libya following the grim discovery of a mass grave in the country’s remote southeast earlier this month.

The Libyan prosecutor general’s office reported on February 9 that the remains of 28 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were uncovered in a mass grave located near an “illegal” detention facility in the Koufra region.

In a joint statement, organizations including CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Human Rights Watch, Sea-Watch, Community Rights in Greece, and the Egyptian Human Rights Forum emphasized that, given these latest findings and a previous report from the European Court of Auditors highlighting the inadequacies of EU funding in addressing human rights issues in Libya, immediate action is required from the Union.

The signatories also pointed out that the European Commission recently opted to reassess its funding agreements with Tunisia for similar concerns. (February 18, 2025)