The United Nations mission in Libya on Sunday condemned the “heinous killing” of 15 migrants near the Mediterranean coastal city of Sabratha and demanded justice.
The bodies were found on a beach on Friday morning, most of them burned inside a charred boat, according to the U.N. and the Libyan Red Crescent.
“While the exact circumstances remain to be determined, the killings reportedly resulted from clashes between rival traffickers,” the U.N. mission UNSMIL said in a statement.
It urged authorities in the North African nation “to ensure a swift, independent and transparent investigation to bring all perpetrators to justice.”
Libya was a key route for clandestine migration even before the 2011 uprising that overthrew dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
The lawlessness that ensued bolstered its position on the world’s deadliest migration route across the Mediterranean to Europe.
