Libya rejects EU military action against migrant ships

Benghazi

Libya's internationally recognised government rejected yesterday any military operation against ships carrying illegal migrants after EU nations approved plans for a naval mission starting next month to fight human traffickers. 

"Any military action must be done with the cooperation of the Libyan authorities," government spokesman Hatem el-Ouraybi said.

"The military option to deal with the boats inside Libyan waters or outside is not considered humane." 

Meanwhile, EU foreign and defence ministers had agreed to launch a naval mission in the Mediterranean to target gangs smuggling people from Libya to Europe.

The foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, said yesterday the EU mission would “disrupt the business model of smugglers and traffickers networks in Mediterranean”.

The EU wants to capture smugglers and destroy their boats off the Libyan coast to tackle the rising number of migrants fleeing war and poverty in north Africa, but many EU countries want UN authorisation to act.

Mogherini previously said an agreement would increase the chances of the UN security council giving the EU the backing many ministers want for a more aggressive mission.

Meanwhile, the EU is still waiting for a UN resolution that will allow it to destroy boats belonging to people smugglers in Libyan waters, the epicentre of the humanitarian disaster unfolding on Europe's southern shores.