NATO agrees to support EU anti-migrant operation off Libyan coast
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Brussels, Oct. 27, 2016 (dpa/NAN) North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), defence ministers have agreed to assist the European Union’s anti-migrant-smuggling mission off the coast of Libya, alliance Chief Jens Stoltenberg confirmed it on Thursday.
The EUNAVFOR MED naval mission also known as Operation Sophia was launched in 2015 to tackle migration flows from northern Africa to Italy and to reduce the number of deaths in the Mediterranean Sea.
During their two-day talks in Brussels, the NATO ministers agreed to provide the EU with reconnaissance and logistical assistance for the military operation.
“Within two weeks, NATO ships and planes will be in the central Mediterranean.
“Greece and Turkey had pledged both ships and maritime patrol aircraft, while Italy and Spain would also provide air assets,” Stoltenberg said.
Nine vessels currently taking part in Operation Sophia, which has helped save the lives of close to 16,000 migrants, according to the EU.
The bloc said that the mission also began training the Libyan coastguard and navy to help disrupt migrant smuggling activities.
“An initial 78 trainees and their mentors are on board two EU ships to learn skills ranging from basic seamanship to the application of human rights and international law.
In the first nine months of 2016, 132,000 migrants travelled illegally across the central Mediterranean route to reach Europe, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
“The situation in the Mediterranean remains extremely serious and we continue to see illegal human trafficking and tragic loss of life at record-high numbers,” Stoltenberg said.
He said many deaths were recorded in 2015 on the Eastern Mediterranean route between Turkey and Greece.
That was the key migration route to Europe until a deal between Brussels and Ankara stemmed the flows.
The ministers agreed to continue NATO’s presence in the Aegean Sea, where the alliance helps patrol the waters for migrant boats and supports Greek and Turkish coast guard operations.
However, the future of the mission is uncertain after December, when Turkey takes over the leadership from Germany.
The Turkish defence minister gave no assurances about the mission, NATO sources said on condition of anonymity.
Ankara has always been critical of the Aegean operation, fearing in part that it could reflect badly on its own ability to manage the situation.
Broader EU-NATO cooperation was also on the agenda with both sides agreeing to work out practical steps by December aimed at better aligning their organisations.
Countries such as Germany and France back the initiative, while others are wary of too much overlap.
Over dinner on Wednesday, the NATO defence ministers had discussed the alliance’s support for the international coalition fighting the Islamic State extremist group in Syria and Iraq.
They agreed to start the in-country training of Iraqi officers from January.
Until now, NATO has done this in neighbouring Jordan. (dpa/NAN)
Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Julius Enehikhuere