Ocean Viking, EU asks Libya for clarification after attack

Brussels calls for investigation: ‘Worrying events, must be clarified immediately’

Brussels – The European Union has asked the Libyan authorities for explanations regarding the attack on the NGO SOS Méditerranée’s ship Ocean Viking, which was hit by gunfire in international waters about 40 miles north of the Libyan coast. During the daily press briefing, a spokesperson for the European Commission described the incident as “a worrying development” and confirmed that Brussels had already contacted Tripoli to seek clarification.

The position of the European Commission

‘It is now up to the competent Libyan authorities to urgently shed light on what happened,’ said the spokesperson, stressing that ‘all search and rescue operations must be conducted with due diligence and in full compliance with international law and maritime law.’ The Commission will assess possible actions once the facts have been ascertained, without confirming at this stage whether it considers the responses from Tripoli to be reliable.

The attack at sea

According to reports by SOS Méditerranée, a Corrubia-class patrol boat belonging to the Libyan Coast Guard opened fire on the Ocean Viking, damaging rescue equipment and the ship itself. None of the crew or shipwrecked people were injured, but panic spread on board. The NGO released images of broken glass and bullet casings recovered on the deck.

The political clash in Italy

The director of SOS Mediterranee Italia, Valeria Taurino, has called on the government in Rome to halt all cooperation with Libya and to launch an investigation to identify those responsible. “Humanitarian workers and shipwrecked people were brutally attacked by gunfire in international waters, without a word of condemnation from the government,” she said.

This was a direct reference to the words of Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who a few hours earlier had reiterated on X that ‘it is the state that combats human traffickers and manages sea rescues, not NGOs,’ attaching a photo of the NGO Mediterranea ship engaged in a landing in Trapani. Taurino replied: ‘We have always called for state coordination of rescue operations to reduce deaths at sea. But the Italian state has gradually disengaged from protecting life, favouring agreements with countries such as Libya and Tunisia that do not respect human rights.’

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