The United States military last month assisted in the rescue of 131 migrants who were stranded on the Mediterranean Sea off Libya’s coast.
A statement released by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) last week said that the rescue mission was coordinated with Libyan and Maltese naval authorities and the U.S. European Command after it picked up a distress signal.
“A U.S. Africa Command unit conducting surveillance off the coast of North Africa picked up a distress signal from an inflatable vessel with 131 passengers aboard that was deflating in the sea approximately 80 kilometers northwest of Misrata, Libya,” AFRICOM said in a statement.
“On July 23, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency reported the Libyan Coast Guard rescued all 131 passengers from the distressed migrant vessel and brought them to safety,” it added.
AFRICOM commander U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend said that the unit’s routine surveillance along the North Africa Coast provided an opportunity to help the migrants.
“U.S. forces have a long-standing tradition of helping mariners in distress and providing humanitarian assistance.”
Libya, which has been mired in violence and political instability since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, has borne the brunt of the migrant crisis involving countries with access to the Mediterranean Sea. Thousands of migrants, mostly Africans, choose to cross the Mediterranean from Libya towards Europe, due to the state of insecurity and chaos in the North African country.
Human trafficking cells have operated within the country for years, taking advantage of the crisis there. The country became a favoured departing point for migrants seeking to reach Europe by making the precarious sea crossing.
General Townsend said that international cooperation remained the key to addressing major challenges such as the migrant crisis noting that U.S. leadership helped achieve unity of effort in this instance.
“International partnership remains important to addressing mutual challenges. In this case, collective contributions helped save lives.”
