Racism in Libya

Libya is a predominantly Arab country with a large Berber minority that has traditionally held racist views towards black-skinned, sub-Saharan Africans. The New York Times describes Libya as having a "long history of racist violence."

In the 21st century, significant numbers of sub-Saharan Africans came to Libya, primarily to work as unskilled labor. Many of these were rounded up during the Libyan Civil War and accused of being "mercenaries" in the pay of Muammar Gaddafi.

According to Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch, the detentions reflect "“a deep-seated racism and anti-African sentiment in Libyan society.”