By Edwin Omariba Tumbo
The images posted on July 20, 2026, from an account with the username PanAfrican Intel, claim that the individuals in the images are black slaves who are awaiting shipment to the Middle East by organized militias in Libya. The post further indicates that it’s happening in 2026.
Background
Libya is a country in North Africa, separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea. According to Reuters, the country has become a major transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty who seek to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean. This migration route has grown since the fall of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 following a NATO-backed uprising. Since 2014, Libya has also been divided by factional conflict, with rival authorities controlling areas in the west and east.
According to research published by the Scalabrini Institute for Human Mobility in Africa (SIHMA), Libya has been undergoing a period of intense and protracted crisis since 2011. The country used to represent a major destination for labour migration before the explosion of violence, and used to host between 1.35 million and 2.5 million migrant workers. Migrant labour has primarily been employed in the construction and health sectors, with others also working in agriculture and manufacturing.
As reported by Al-Jazeera, the recent UN human rights report that was published on February 17, 2026, indicates how Libya’s migrant crisis has violated human rights. Consequently, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for suspension of interceptions to Libya until robust safeguards exist.
Verification
A search of the composite image on Google Reverse Image leads to a news article published by The New York Times, with the headline “Sub-Saharan African Migrants Face Old Enemy in Libya: Bigotry.” The article looks at how black African migrants transiting Libya face abuse from smugglers and others, on top of the exploitative labour and violence common to the route. It centres on Gambian teenager Kalilu Drammeh’s account of being targeted for his skin color while trying to reach Europe. This news article was published on September 12, 2017, with the same image as the top image of the composite image in question.
One year, 3 months and 8 days later, The Guardian published a news article with the headline “Asylum seeker to sue UK for funding Libyan detention centres” with the same image as the bottom image of the composite image in question. This article talks about a teenage asylum seeker, abused in Libyan detention camps, who is suing the UK’s DfID for funding facilities where torture, rape, and slavery occur.
From the above findings, it’s crystal clear that the images are of migrants and refugees in detention centres in Libya. Additionally, it’s evident that the images posted by PanAfrican Intel are not as recent as alleged.
Verdict
The claim that the images of Black slaves in Libya are from 2026 is MISLEADING.
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