Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara opened a Europe-Africa summit on Wednesday calling for "all urgent measures" to end migrant abuses, including slave trading in Libya. The slavery revelations are casting a shadow over the Abidjan summit, which both sides hope will launch a deeper partnership to create jobs for Africa's exploding population while reducing mass migration and terrorism.
"Given this wretched drama which recalls the worst hours of human history, I would like to appeal to our sense of responsibility to take all urgent measures to put an end to this practice, which belongs to another age," Ouattara told the summit. He specifically referred to the "sad" migrant situation in Libya as he opened the gathering of 55 African Union and 28 European Union nations.
The summit in the Ivorian economic capital comes just two weeks after CNN broadcast footage of black Africans sold as slaves in Libya, sparking outrage, including protests in African and European capitals.
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