Another mass grave discovery in eastern Libya has once again exposed the country’s deepening humanitarian crisis and the persistent lawlessness that has flourished in the years since the collapse of central authority. The finding of at least 21 bodies on a farm near the city of Ajdabiya underscores the extreme vulnerability of migrants transiting through Libya and highlights the ongoing failures of governance, security, and accountability in the oil-rich North African state.

According to local media reports, the mass grave was uncovered on January 15 after security forces received information that migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were being held at a farm in the area. The property lies roughly ten kilometers southeast of Ajdabiya, a strategic town located about 160 kilometers south of Benghazi in eastern Libya. When authorities raided the site, they reportedly discovered a grave containing the bodies of 21 people, including men, women, and children.

The Internal Security Agency in eastern Libya confirmed the discovery, telling the television channel al-Masar that it had found “a mass grave containing the bodies of 21 people of various African nationalities.” A security source, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said that survivors who were taken to hospital showed signs of torture and reported that other migrants had been held with them before disappearing. The source added that many of the victims bore physical evidence of abuse, raising serious concerns about systematic violence against migrants held at the site.

Security officials arrested the owner of the farm, who........

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