“I can assure you that the Libyan coast guard sailors trained by the European missions since 2017 have not committed human rights violations to the detriment of migrants. Of course they never fired. A large part of the training focuses precisely on respect for human rights, against gender-based violence and the protection of minors. But it should be remembered that many different forces operate along the Libyan coasts, which are often confused with the coast guard of the Tripoli government. And we cannot guarantee these forces at all ». Admiral Fabio Agostini does not hesitate to address the migrant issue in the long interview which he grants us in his Roman office as commander of the European mission Irini, which since March 31, 2020 has been monitoring the Libyan scenario with the UN mandate to monitor and possibly prevent the illegal arrival of weapons. Previously, he had led the last period of the Sophia mission. A few weeks ago his command was renewed for two years.
Irini is accused of having too weak rules of engagement, especially in the face of sending weapons and mercenaries from both Moscow and Ankara. How do you reply?
“We are supported by 24 European countries, which provide us with 4 ships (including the Italian San Giorgio landing ship), about a thousand men, three planes, four helicopters. Our mandate is dictated by the UN resolutions on the embargo on arms exports to Libya. But we must also respect international maritime law. We cannot board a suspicious ship if its flag country forbids it, we would be breaking the law. That said, we have carried out thousands of investigations, especially on merchant ships, we have boarded a dozen, visited over 200 ships, monitored 25 airports and 16 ports. To date we have blocked an illegal oil tanker in Tobruk, seized and brought to Greece a cargo of jet fuel bound for Cyrenaica. An exemplary case due to its complexity: the cargo flew the flag of the Marshall Islands, belonged to a Singapore company, departed from the Emirates and had a Norwegian commander. But we get busy. As far as possible, our drones and airplanes also control the land borders ».
The UN and Europe are calling for the withdrawal of 20,000 mercenaries, mostly sent from Russia and Turkey. What does Irini do if she meets them, can she block them militarily?
“If the flag state blocks us within the first four hours, we can’t board the suspect ship. However, we have observed that mercenaries travel by plane. The number of 20,000 seems unchanged, albeit with continuous changes. In recent weeks we have noticed a small reduction in suspicious trafficking ».
Mercenaries and militias destabilize. Would you like a stronger mandate?
“It’s up to the UN and Brussels to decide. I can say that Irini is part of the solution to the Libya problem, which involves a set of diplomatic, political and economic efforts. We have been helping to achieve the ceasefire and ensure its hold since last summer. We are a deterrent body that helps pacification. Obviously if I had tougher rules of engagement I would follow orders ».
What relationship do you have with the Libyan coastguards and navy?
“Unfortunately Irini no longer has the task of training them, as Sophia did before and continues to do Italy. There is no longer a structured relationship ».
Do you meet the boats of migrants?
«Our ships operate up to 12 miles of Libyan territorial waters. They have never met migrants. Instead it happened to our aircraft, which reported them to the competent authorities ».
«We would immediately bring relief, as foreseen by the laws of the sea and we would not take them to Libya, but to a European pier. So it is written in our mandate ».
Do you have clear evidence of criminal behavior by the Libyan coastguards?
“Not by the 500 or so trained by the Sophia mission or by those trained by the Italians. Confusion must be avoided. The coastguards under the orders of the Tripoli authorities are very different from the militias or other forces that improperly use that name, for example the militias of Cyrenaica that seize passing ships and then get ransoms paid. UN agencies and the Red Cross also confirm the leap in quality of trained men in Europe. There was the involvement of France, Greece, Holland, Italy and Croatia. Last November I went to Tripoli and here the heads of the major international humanitarian organizations confirmed the quality of European training compared to before 2017 ».
How many coastguards are there trained by Europe?
“I would say about half of all Libyan forces at sea.”
But do the migrants brought back to land end up in Libyan “concentration camps”?
«First of all it must be remembered that the government coastguards save people who were about to drown or in any case on inadequate, dangerous boats. Saving them is a duty. On the ground I don’t know what happens. It is not my job to verify it. But I know that the fields where they are placed are monitored by the UN and the Red Cross and are accessed by the major international humanitarian organizations ”.
April 11, 2021 (change April 11, 2021 | 23:38)
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