In the past months, SOS MEDITERRANE has witnessed a proliferation of state and non-state actors in the central Mediterranean feeding the cycle of abuses at sea and in Libya.
In addition to the well-documented recklessness of the EU-funded Libyan coastguard, the Ocean Viking and other search and rescue (SAR) vessels have faced several critical situations in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region where unidentified masked armed men on fast boats have repeatedly interfered with search and rescue operations.
The fast boats encountered were either rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) or fiberglass vessels, grey or black, with powerful engines. On several occasions they made dangerous manoeuvres around the Ocean Viking, approached ongoing rescue operations, or even forced people in distress into the water, causing panic and endangering lives.
The appearance of these unidentified actors, operating erratically, in total opacity, and with no means of identification, is very worrying for the safety of the crew and survivors. The humanitarian space in the Mediterranean has never been as constrained as it is now, leaving SAR NGOs with no other choice but to navigate between armed actors in order to carry out the most necessary and simple act of all: rescuing children, women and men from drowning at the bottom of the sea.
A look back at three critical events in recent months:
- July 9:
On July 9, the Ocean Viking received a distress alert from Alarm Phone about an overcrowded wooden boat. Shortly after, the crew spotted the double-deck wooden boat. After the full distribution of life jackets, and while SOS MEDITERRANEE’s crew was evacuating the survivors to their fast rescue boats, two unidentified RHIBs, one black and one grey, approached the scene closely. One grey RHIB came alongside the wooden boat in distress, and two armed masked men boarded it while some of the people in distress were still on board. Panic ensued, and about 20 people jumped into the water, fearing they would be taken back to Libya. The SAR team managed to recover all of them safely. One survivor who had jumped into the water collapsed on the deck of the Ocean Viking upon arrival, suffering from hypothermia and emotional distress. At the end of the rescue operation, the two masked men drove the wooden boat away, Heading south, escorted by the two RHIBs.
For a recap of the event, watch this video, featuring Jérôme, the SAR team leader, explaining the critical situation:
- July 30:
On July 30, the Ocean Viking spotted two overcrowded wooden boats in distress, one after the other. SOS MEDITERRANEE’s fast rescue boats were launched and 96 people were first rescued. During the operation, two unidentified boats were seen in the vicinity but kept their distance. Shortly afterwards, teams got ready for another rescue and 100 people were evacuated. Once everyone was on board the SOS MEDITERRANEE fast rescue boats, two other unidentified boats approached the scene, again keeping their distance.
In both cases, the people on board the unidentified boats were masked and took the wooden boats away, Heading south.
- October 9:
On October 9, the Ocean Viking spotted two boats sailing side by side in the distance. Suddenly, one of the boats began approaching the Ocean Viking at high speed.
Initially, the SOS MEDITERRANEE crew saw two masked men driving the grey fast boat. It was not until the boat was very close to the Ocean Viking that the crew noticed six other people onboard, who were being threatened by the two unidentified men. The six individuals were forced to jump into the water, with some not wearing life jackets. The fast boat immediately left the scene at high speed.
The SOS MEDITERRANEE team reacted swiftly, launching fast rescue boats to recover the six people from the water as quickly as possible. They were cold and dehydrated. One person was suffering from seasickness and was too weak to stand. He was evacuated to the mothership on a stretcher.
The survivors later told SOS MEDITERRANEE that the masked men had weapons onboard.
SOS MEDITERRANEE is deeply concerned about the proliferation of armed actors in the central Mediterranean and the escalation of dangerous manoeuvres and actions that directly threaten people’s lives. In two of these cases, people could have drowned in front of our eyes after being endangered by unidentified actors.
SOS MEDITERRANEE has collected numerous testimonies from survivors that provide evidence of the reckless behaviour of militias in Libya, often working in collusion with smugglers, the police and the Libyan coastguard. The continued support of European states to the Libyan authorities, which operate with little transparency and accountability, may contribute to these critical situations at sea.
We urge European states to respect the accountability and transparency owed to European taxpayers when funding third countries like Libya, and to investigate these unlawful events.
Credit cover picture: Claire Juchat / SOS MEDITERRANEE
