Following the recent incident on Sunday in the Mediterranean Sea, when a Libyan coast guard vessel opened fire on a rescue ship, the European Commission is struggling to establish the truth between different versions of what happened.
As previously reported, the ship ‘Ocean Viking’ which is operated by the international maritime- humanitarian organisation SOS Méditerranée, was shot at during 20 minutes ca 65 kilometers off the Libyan coast in international waters after having rescued 87 people in distress. Hundreds of bullets damaged the ship but left those on board unharmed.
SOS Méditerranée wrote on X yesterday that the crew and the 87 survivors, mostly people from Sudan fleeing war and persecution, have disembarked safely in Augusta, Sicily. “After all they have been through they had to face the armed attacks of our rescue ship by Libyan Coast Guard. Even our humanitarian ship is no longer a safe place.”
The NGO accused the Libyan Coast Guard of deliberately shooting at the rescue ship. “We demand a full investigation into these horrifying events and an immediate end to all European collaboration with Libya.” The coast guard ship has been donated by Italy with EU funding. Similar incidents have occurred in the past.
Asked for a comment, a European Commission spokesperson replied at a press conference on Tuesday that it was too early to draw any conclusions about the incident and that the Commission must first establish the facts. It had already reached out to the Libyan authorities and will also contact SOS Méditerranée and other actors such as Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
The Libyan government in Tripoli told The Brussels Times that it “values the role of humanitarian organizations when they operate in full coordination with the competent authorities and in line with established procedures designed to safeguard lives at sea”.
“In this case, however, the vessel involved, operated by a non-governmental organization, entered the Libyan search and rescue area without authorization from the Libyan authorities, who bear the sole responsibility for coordination in this zone,” the Deputy Defense Minister, Abdulsalam Al-Zoubi, said.
According to the minister, this represents a clear violation of international agreements and procedures, and created unnecessary risks to both migrants and maritime operations.
“The Libyan Coast Guard has confirmed that it issued multiple warnings which were not heeded, and that the shots fired were warning shots only, consistent with international maritime practice. At no point was the vessel itself targeted.”
He added that GNU (the Government of National Unity) remains “committed to constructive cooperation with international partners and humanitarian organizations, to ensuring that all actions at sea are consistent with international law, and to safeguarding the lives of migrants while protecting Libya’s sovereignty and maritime integrity”.
The European Commission has established communication channels with the internationally recognized government in Tripoli. An EU delegation held recently talks with the government and reaffirmed a joint commitment to combat migrant smuggling. When establishing the facts, the Commission will have to consider the reported duration of the shooting and the damage caused to the rescue ship.
