Rome, April 11, 2019 – Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte warned Thursday that the deteriorating situation in Libya could create a humanitarian crisis and increase the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean. “Ongoing fighting and a rising number of dead, now estimated at several hundred, as well as the wounded and displaced, signals the real risk of a humanitarian crisis that must be quickly resolved,” Conte told parliament. “The humanitarian emergency, with its consequences on the flow of migrants… requires determination and rapid action,” Conte said.
Dozens of people are confirmed dead in Libya since military strongman Khalifa Haftar’s forces launched an offensive last week to capture the capital Tripoli, which is controlled by a UN-backed government and an array of militias. UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned that Libya is on the brink of “a very dangerous situation” as the rival forces battle for control of Tripoli. Thousands of people have fled heavy fighting on the outskirts of the capital.
Former colonial power Italy’s far-right deputy prime minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has taken a hard line against immigrants, particularly those making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean from Libya.
By AFP
Italy keeps troops in Libya despite Khalifa advance
Rome, April 9, 2019 (AFP) – Italy on Tuesday confirmed that it would keep its military missions in Tripoli and Misrata despite the advance of strongman Khalifa Haftar’s forces on the Libyan capital. Miasit, launched in January 2018, will “continue in order to make assistance activities in Libya more incisive and efficient”, the Italian defence ministry said in a statement. UN chief Antonio Guterres has appealed for an immediate halt to fighting in Libya after Haftar’s forces claimed an airstrike on Tripoli’s only functioning airport. Thousands have fled violence in the capital city, according to the United Nations, since Haftar launched a surprise assault last week which has left dozens dead.
Italy‘s Bilateral Mission of Assistance and Support in Libya “supports Libyan authorities in their pacification and stabilisation activities in the country and against human trafficking, smuggling and threats to security.” No figures were provided for the current deployment but the mission has previously included around 100 troops in Tripoli and 300 in Misrata, about 200 kilometres (130 miles) to the east. Troops from former colonial power Italy are involved in “training and technical and infrastructure assistance for Libyan security forces,” in Tripoli, the statement said. In Misrata, the troops provide security and assistance to a hospital within a military academy for the UN-backed Government of National Accord. The oil-rich northern African country has been rocked by violent power struggles between an array of armed groups since the NATO-backed overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) controls the capital, but its authority is not recognised by a parallel administration in the east of the country, backed by Haftar.
