First Independent Mena Newspaper
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni is to ask the Parliament’s permission to redeploy troops currently stationed in Iraq to Niger where terrorist groups are increasingly engaging in human trafficking, contributing to the surge of illegal immigration in the Mediterranean region. Gentiloni said Italy’s 1,400-strong military force, present in Iraq, could now be reduced after victories […]
Two militia groups linked to the UN-backed Government of National Accord have fought over the control of oil and gas terminal in the town of Sabratha, with the GNA and Italy fearing the fighting could disrupt efforts to thwart migrants’ smuggling in the town known as a departure point for the perilous journey across the […]
The Governor of the Italian Island of Sardinia has raised the alarm requesting help from Rome to curb the rising influx of illegal embarcations from Algeria, which has become a new Mediterranean illegal migration route to Europe. About 800 people have made the crossing from Algeria this year, landing on beaches in Sardinia in small […]
FARThe Moroccan armed forces (FAR) sent two Canadair planes to Italy to extinguish the fire that ravaged so far more than 2000 hectares of forests. Italy becomes the third country that receives Moroccan aid after Spain and Portugal, which also received Moroccan Canadair flights. Southern Italy, including Sicily, has been plagued by wildfires this summer […]
Several NGOs rescuing migrants off Libya’s coasts have suspended operations because of security threats from Libyan coastguard whom they accuse of firing at their ships. Germany-based Sea-Eye has joined Save the Children and halted its interventions in international waters to save migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe’s southern coast. The charity said it made […]
Son of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi Thursday indicated that Italy, by deploying warships into Libyan territorial waters, is looking to re-colonize Libya by, repeating the colonization and fascist strategy of the past. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi reportedly said Italy wants to re-colonize Libya as it used to consider Tripoli beaches as Rome’s colony. According to […]
Shortly after the Italian parliament approved the deployment of the country’s naval forces to the Libyan shores to help combat the flow of illegal migration from the North African country to Europe, the Libyan National Army (LNA) have been ordered to take actions against foreign vessels trespassing in Libyan waters. The Parliament’s vote, which took […]
Libya’s increasing oil exportations are beginning to raise eyebrows in Italy as authorities believe that the mafia is linking up with extremist groups loyal to the Islamic State group to smuggle crude oil from the Middle East into Italy. As Libya has been in turmoil for the past six years, it was, along with Nigeria, […]
Italy is planning to send ships in Libyan waters by the end of August to combat human trafficking and stem a huge influx of immigrants, a government source said on Thursday. The announcement came after Italy’s Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said that the internationally recognized government in Tripoli requested in a letter Italy’s help through […]
Mediterranean interior ministers have agreed to enhance joint actions to combat illegal migration, migrants’ smuggling and human trafficking networks, a growing lucrative business threatening peace and stability in the region. At the end of a meeting held lately in Tunis, the European and African Interior Ministers stressed the importance of addressing the roots of illegal […]