Mass graves discovered in Libya: 50 migrants found dead

Authorities in Libya have found nearly 50 bodies in two mass graves in the country’s southeastern desert.

Officials say the number of victims could be as high as 70.

Nineteen bodies were found on a farm in the district of Kufra, and later, a second mass grave with over 30 bodies was discovered in a migrant detention centre in the same city.

A charity helping migrants said some of the victims had been shot before being buried.

Libya has become a major transit point for migrants seeking to leave Africa and the Middle East for Europe.

This is amid instability caused for more than a decade by a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.

Competing governments and armed groups continue to cause chaos, worsening the plight of migrants seeking to escape.

Human traffickers have stepped in to exploit and smuggle migrants across its borders with six neighbouring nations.

The UN and rights groups have documented widespread abuse of migrants in Libya. 

This includes torture, forced labour, and sexual violence.

Many migrants are also held in detention centres where they face horrific conditions.