UN horrified about mass graves discovery in Libya

The United Nations expressed its horror Thursday after discovering mass graves in Libya in an area that fell last week to forces of Fayez el Sarraj, who have been at war for more than a year against forces of Khalifa Haftar.

Supported militarily by Turkey, el Sarraj leads the UN-backed Government of National Unity. These forces have seized the entire western part of the country.

According to the UN support mission, at least 8 mass graves have been discovered in Tarhouna, 65 km south-east of Tripoli.

We call on the members to quickly begin work to secure the mass graves, identify the victims, establish the causes of death and return the bodies to their relatives.

“The mission to Libya welcomes the decision of the Minister of Justice to establish a committee to investigate these mass graves and we call on the members to quickly begin work to secure the mass graves, identify the victims, establish the causes of death and return the bodies to their relatives”, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General said.

In addition, 160 bodies were discovered at the morgue of the Tarhouna hospital by forces of the Government of National Unity.

They were transferred to Tripoli and Misrata by the Red Cross. For more than a year, Libya has been plagued by clashes between two factions, which wish to take control of the entire country.