, ▁which ▁under w ent ▁expansion ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁An ▁ ▁long ▁railway ▁has ▁been ▁proposed ▁from ▁Sab ha ▁to ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Mis r ata ▁for ▁iron ▁ore ▁transport . ▁This ▁railway ▁could ▁continue ▁to ▁Niger ▁and ▁beyond . ▁ ▁Re ports ▁of ▁slave ▁au ctions ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁The ▁United ▁Nations ▁M igration ▁Agency ▁reported ▁that ▁Sab ha ▁had ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁modern - day ▁slave ▁au ction ing ▁town . ▁Each ▁slave ▁( most ly ▁migr ants ▁from ▁countries ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁Lib ya , ▁especially ▁Niger ia ) ▁was ▁sold ▁for ▁around ▁US $ 3 2 5 , ▁with ▁reports ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁such ▁sales ▁each ▁month . ▁While ▁this ▁aspect ▁of ▁Sab ha ▁had ▁been ▁kept ▁under ▁check ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Mu am mar ▁G add aff i , ▁it ▁raised ▁its ▁head ▁again ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁tur bul ence ▁in ▁Lib ya ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁civil ▁war . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁migr ants ▁came ▁here ▁esc aping ▁equally ▁trag ic ▁conditions ▁back ▁home ▁in ▁Bur k ina ▁F aso , ▁Niger ia ▁and ▁other ▁neighbour ing ▁African ▁countries . ▁However , ▁the ▁National ▁Commission ▁for ▁Human ▁Rights ▁in ▁Lib ya ▁( N CH RL ) ▁revealed ▁that ▁the ▁media ▁reports ▁of ▁sla very ▁were ▁ex agger ated ▁and ▁that ▁slave ▁actions ▁were ▁not ▁public , ▁as ▁suggested ▁by ▁CNN . ▁The ▁slave ▁actions ▁which ▁were ▁discovered ▁were ▁revealed ▁to