Sudanese women living and working in Libya detail harrowing accounts of sexual and physical abuse

Five Sudanese families who fled to Egypt and later moved to Libya in search of work and better living conditions have described their experiences in Libya as a “living hell” in interviews with the BBC.

The families report widespread sexual and physical abuse by both human traffickers and Libyan employers.

"Their whips left marks on our bodies," said one woman, recounting the treatment by traffickers who allegedly extorted her family. “They would beat my daughter and put my son’s hands in a lit oven while I was watching.”

She also revealed the existence of a “rape room” where traffickers repeatedly assaulted her. After becoming pregnant as a result of the abuse, she alleges her husband abandoned her and their children.

Another Sudanese woman shared that she and her daughters were sexually assaulted by men who had hired them to clean their homes.

“Even children here are mean to us. They treat us as beasts and sorcerers, insulting us for being Black and African. Are they not Africans themselves?” she asked.

According to the UN refugee agency, over 210,000 Sudanese refugees are currently in Libya. While reports of abuse by traffickers are common, allegations also include mistreatment by Libyan officials in detention centers, particularly in the western region of the country.

In 2022, Amnesty International accused Libya’s state-funded Stability Support Authority—under the control of Western-backed Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh—of committing egregious human rights violations. These include "unlawful killings, arbitrary detentions, forced labor, torture, and other crimes under international law."

Many women expressed deep regret about moving to Libya.

“If only I had known what was awaiting me here,” one woman lamented.