A Rescue Ship With 87 Refugees on Board was shot at in the Mediterranean Sea by the Libyan Coast Guard. The Boat was Searching for More Migrants at Sea Who Were in Distress. No one was injured.
That’s accordance to non-profit Organization SOS Mediterranee, which in recent years has rescued thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea Together with the red cross.
Rescue Ship Ocean Viking was Sailing about 70 kilometers off the Coast of Libya on Sunday, in International Waters, When a Ship of the Libyan Coast Guard approached the Boat. “They Unlawfuly Asked Us To Leave the Area And Sail North,” The Press Release Said.
A Translator on Board Reportedly Told the Coast Guard that the Rescue Ship would leave. Yet, The Coast Guard Allegedly Shot Without Warning or Ultimatum. The Ocean Viking was Allegedly Under Fire for More Than Twenty Minutes.
No One was injured, but the ship was badly damaged. For example, bullet holes, broken Windows and damaged rubber lifeboats can be seen in images.
The Refugees on board Were Rescued from Two Different Boats on the Night of Saturday to Sunday. Among Others, People who had Fled from Sudan Were on the Boat. RESCUERS WERE Looking for a Third Migrant Boat That had Goths Into Trouble at Sea. But after the incident, The Ocean Viking Sailed Back to Italy, The Planned Final Destination.
EU Cooperates with Libya to Control Migration
The Boat of the Libyan Coast Guard Involved in the Incident was a Gift From Italy in 2023. That is part of the Support the European Union Gives to the African Country to Control Migration. Among Other Things, The EU Provides Training and Material to the Libyan Coast Guard.
Several Human Rights Organizations Have Long Warned About the Danger of this Cooperation, Becoaus Intercepted Migrants Have To Stay in Detention Centers in Libya Under Appalling Conditions.