Military Africa
  • Contact
  • Services
  • About
    • Our Amazing Team
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Disclaimer
    • Cookies Policy
    • Advertising Policies
    • Privacy Policy
  • SUPPORT MILITARY AFRICA
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Advertisement
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Press Release
No Result
View All Result
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Press Release
No Result
View All Result
Military Africa
No Result
View All Result
Home Security

EU launches naval mission “Operation Irini” to enforce Libyan arms embargo

Darek Liam by Darek Liam
April 1, 2020 - Updated on July 28, 2022
in Security
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Member nations of the European Union has agreed and approved a new naval mission to enforce the UN arms embargo against Libya.

The new mission called European Union Naval Force – Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR Med) ‘Irini’, is set to take off on 1 April. The first force generation conference on 31 March.

‘Irini’ replaces the EU’s Operation ‘Sophia’, which formally ended on 20 March.

Advertisements

You Might Also Like

Nigeria inaugurates National Counter-terrorism Centre

4 SA Infantry Battalion (TF Charlie) prepares to head out to DRC

Rwanda increase troops strength in Cabo Delgado

Irini, (Greek for peace), will have as its core task the implementation of the UN arms embargo through the use of aerial, satellite and maritime assets. In particular the mission will be able to carry out inspections of vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya suspected to be carrying arms or related material to and from Libya in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2292 (2016).

As secondary tasks, EU Navfor Med Irini will also monitor and gather information on illicit exports from Libya of petroleum, crude oil and refined petroleum products;
contribute to the capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy in law enforcement tasks at sea;
and contribute to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks through information gathering and patrolling by aircraft.

Irini will be led by Rear Admiral Fabio Agostini as EU Operation Commander, and its headquarters will be located in Rome, Italy.

“It has not been easy: six weeks of complex and difficult negotiations on how this mission should be implemented,”

“But we have agreed on all the technical details.” EU security and defence policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Diplomacy cannot succeed unless it is backed by action. This operation will be essential and a clear contribution to promoting peace in our immediate neighbourhood through a permanent ceasefire,” said Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and President of the Council.

Operation’s Sophia’s sea patrols were suspended last March, after Italy’s then government (which backs the GNA’s administration in Tripoli), threatened to veto the entire operation. The mission was subsequently reduced to satellite monitoring and air patrols.

Operation Sophia which was named after a Somali baby girl delivered aboard a German Navy frigate was set up in 2015 to combat mass human-smuggling and to prevent loss of life at sea.

Initially, the EU agreed to launch Operation EU Active Surveillance on 12 February in order to enforce the U.N. arms embargo placed against Libya, after getting a nod by the 27 EU foreign ministers on 12 February, it was expected to incorporate naval ships, planes, as well as satellites.

Operation EU Active Surveillance was expected to carry out the anti-migrant and anti-weapons mission of ‘Operation Sophia,’ however, member states were urged to agree on whether gathering information on and upholding, the U.N. embargo should become Operation EU Active Surveillance “core task.”

Therefore, it seems that plans Operations EU active surveillance has been scrapped and replaced by the new European Union Naval Force – Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR Med) ‘Irini’.

Recommended posts

Tags: European UnionOperation Irini

Join 154,765 others in receiving our trusted defence news

Unsubscribe

Related News

European Union launches military partnership mission in Niger

February 22, 2023

EU Operation Irini intercepts ship carrying BATT UMG armoured vehicles to Libya

November 15, 2022

Operation ‘Irini’ intercepts Libyan bound ship carrying military vehicles

July 28, 2022

EU provides additional €45 million funding to Mozambique

April 22, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Angola will be the new user of AKSUNGUR Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), developed by Turkey, Ömer Yıldız, Deputy General Manager of TUSAŞ UAV Systems said to CNN TÜRK last week. He also stated that 8 AKSUNGUR UAVs have been produced so far.

This state-of-the-art Aksungur unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been specifically designed for the purpose of providing aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as the potential to carry out targeted strikes.
Load More... Subscribe

Facebook

ADVERTISEMENT
No Result
View All Result
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Press Release

© 2022 Military Africa

Go to mobile version