The nonprofit SOS Mediterranee, which confirmed the incident on Monday, disclosed details and images of the incident and said it had happened a day earlier, about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) north of the Libyan coast. Although the group claimed that the ship suffered significant damage, no injuries have been reported.
In collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, SOS Mediterranee charters the Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking.
The Libyan coast guard, which receives training, equipment, and funding from the European Union, appeared to be the most violent incident.
According to SOS Mediterranee, the Libyan coast guard received a 2023 gift from Italy as part of its support for a border management program.
The Ocean Viking was heading to Italy after rescuing 87 people from two boats, many of whom had been killed in Sudan.
The Ocean Viking was approached by a Libyan patrol vessel in international waters while searching for a third boat in distress, according to Angelo Selim, the ship’s search-and-rescue coordinator, The Associated Press reported.
He claimed that they started shooting for 15 to 20 minutes when they reached a close range.
“I didn’t understand the noise of the shots at first. However, Selim recalls that when the first windows blew up on my head, everyone fell to the floor. He added that some shots appeared to be coming from automatic weapons.
Selim claimed that while he and the captain remained on the bridge, he instructed the refugees, migrants, and non-essential crew members to lock themselves inside the safety room.
He claimed that the threats continued after the shooting was over, but eventually it ended. The Libyan coast guard issued the warning to the Ocean Viking in Arabic over the radio: “We will come and kill you all.
Two men can be seen pointing weapons at the boat and hearing several rounds of gunshots in SOS Mediterranee’s video and photos of the incident. Additionally visible are damaged equipment and broken windows.
In a statement released on Monday, SOS Mediterranee stated that “this incident was not only an outrageous and unacceptable act.” The Libyan Coast Guard has a long history of careless maritime conduct that seriously violates international maritime law, human rights, and other international maritime laws.
The incident was “deeply concerning,” according to Frontex, the EU’s border protection agency, which frequently coordinates with the relevant maritime authorities and urges “the proper authorities to investigate the events quickly and thoroughly.”
The right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pledged to stop the passage of refugees and migrants from Africa and has passed measures to combat human traffickers, including tougher jail sentences. Additionally, the government has urged allies to increase their efforts to stop immigration.
People traveling from Libya have experienced numerous maritime disasters, making the dangerous Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe.
In Libya, rights organizations and UN agencies have also documented systematic abuse of refugees and migrants, including rape, extortion, and torture.
Source: Aljazeera
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