The Vice President of Copasir, Senator of the UDC, Giuseppe Esposito, having learned the news circulating in the Libyan media, about British and French interference in Italian foreign policy, announced that he will produce a written question to Prime Minister Gentiloni and to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alfano for clarification on the unpleasant affair, which as always shows that the official statements of European leaders do not correspond to reality.
Thus the Senator, in a note, "it would be very serious if the rumors filtered in the Libyan media about the meetings of diplomatic representatives of France and the United Kingdom with the heads of the Libyan army to criticize the Italian management aimed at stopping the landings on our coasts were confirmed. An interference that would confirm the obscure interests of countries considered friends and allies with regard to Italy's foreign policy. An intervention of this type would be all the more incomprehensible in the light of the results achieved which, at least for the moment, have made it possible to reduce illicit trafficking in human beings. For this reason, I will present a written question to President Gentiloni and to the Foreign Minister as soon as possible for clarification on this matter. Among other things, if the countries that profess to be our allies intend to help us improve the conditions of refugee camps in Libya and the health of migrants stationed in the country, they can ask for it in the open. Without putting in place disturbing actions that bring to mind old issues, such as the real reasons that justified the launch of the air raids against Gaddafi. Even then, humanitarian motivation hid much broader and more diverse interests".
There are many scenarios open on the tables. It is true that the flow of migrants has decreased. But at what price?
In this regard, Di Maio of the M5S, urges the Government: "We want to know if they are giving Italian money to Libyan criminal organizations. This is our main goal. Because from there we may perhaps find that we are even paying criminals to contain the migratory phenomenon but to the detriment of human rights". On this - underlined the exponent M5S - the Gentiloni government and the Minister of the Interior Minniti, who has had relations with the Libyans, must clarify".
In fact, the Minister of the Interior Minniti met the Libyan general Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi on 28 August 2107. The news, secret, appeared on the Twitter profile and on the Facebook page of Alwasat Libya, who had posted a photo of the Italian minister shaking hands with the general. The meeting, writes the newspaper, took place in the office of the head of the Libyan militia near the parliament of Tobruk, at the headquarters of the general command in the Al-Rajmeh area. Minniti arrived in the city of Benghazi on the afternoon of August 28 from Algeria, according to Alwasat. The Italian Minister of the Interior, continues the daily, said that Algeria and Rome are interested in the stability of Libya, because it is important for combating terrorism and human trafficking.
Like a bolt from the blue an investigation published by Associated Press the day after the meeting of Tobruk between Minniti and Haftar. It is speculated that to stop the flow of migrants from North Africa, the Italian government has entered into agreements with two powerful Libyan militias. The Italian government has denied having such an agreement and responding to AP he said he "does not negotiate with the traffickers". The investigation, however, seems very solid and cites many and varied sources, including the spokesperson of one of the two militias involved who confirmed the agreement with the Italian authorities.
The two militias mentioned Associated Press they are called "Martire Abu Anas al Dabbashi" and "Brigade 48" and both are based in Sabratha, a small town not far from Tripoli which in recent months has become the main starting point for migrants' boats and rafts. The first militia is certainly known to Italian officials: since 2015 it has been involved in the safety of Eni's oil extraction plant in the nearby town of Mellita. The second was the subject of a Reuters investigation published on August 21, which described the effectiveness of the anti-trafficking campaign underway in Sabratha. The militia leaders are two brothers who come from the clan that controls the city, that of the Dabbashi.
Five sources among security officials and activists have confirmed to Associated Press that both militias were involved in migrant smuggling: one of them called the Dabbashi brothers the "kings of migrant smuggling" in Sabratha. "The traffickers of yesterday are the anti-trafficking forces of today," said a Libyan security source heard by Associated Press. It would not be the only case of Libyan authorities involved in these trafficking: according to a recent UN report, the head of the Coast Guard of Zawiyah, a city near Sabratha, is simultaneously the head of a militia in league with the traffickers. There is also a rather disturbing detail in this story: according to the journalist of the Sheet Daniele Raineri, the same Dabbashi clan had also expressed the local head of the Islamic State, Abdullah "Abu Maria" Dabbashi, later killed in April.
Abdel Salam Helal Mohammed, an executive of the Minister of the Interior of the government of Tripoli who deals with immigration, said that the agreement was reached during a meeting between Italians and members of the Al Ammu militia, who have pledged to stop traffic of migrants (i.e. themselves or their allies, in essence). Journalist Francesca Mannocchi had also spoken of the meeting in an article published by Middle East Eye on 25 August, but without finding official confirmation. Al Ammu's spokesman, Bashir Ibrahim, also confirmed ad Associated Press that about a month ago both militias made a "verbal" agreement with the Italian government and that of Sarraj to stop the traffickers. Also according to Bashir, the agreement provides that in exchange for their help the militias get money, boats and what they are Associated Press defines "equipment" (it is unclear whether it is a weapon or not).
The agreement was also confirmed by two local activists who deal with the human rights of migrants, who added that the same militias have taken control of the city prison to house the stranded migrants and that they were preparing an airstrip in the near the hospital to receive humanitarian aid from Italy. On his Facebook page, Daniele Raineri posted a photo of the Italian ambassador to Libya Giuseppe Perrone near "a plane loaded with Italian medical aid" which landed on August 16 in the city. A week later, the Italian Foreign Ministry announced that it had delivered 5.000 "sanitation and first aid kits for migrants" to the city of Zuwara, while no deliveries in Sabratha are mentioned.
"What the Italians are doing in Sabratha is really wrong," he said Associated Press one of the activists contacted, Gamal al Gharabili: "you are increasing the power of the militias».
Meanwhile, also on 28 August in Paris during the summit on migrants, President Gentiloni received the compliments of Macron and Merkel: "the work between Italy and Libya is an example for other countries".
In a cordial atmosphere, Prime Minister Gentiloni was welcomed by Macron in the courtyard of the presidential palace. In addition to Merkel, the Libyan premier was also present Fayed Al-Sarraj, the president of the Spanish government Mariano Rajoy, and heads of state of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, and Chad, Idriss Deby Itno. Together with the leaders, the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the EU participates, Federica Mogherini.
The above shows that the Libya dossier is increasingly at the center of an international intrigue of unimaginable proportions. The interests of the world's major countries are coming out. Nobody wants an active and winning Italy. Historically Italy has always had weight and influence in Libyan "affairs" and with Gaddafi it had reached first-level trade agreements, while at the same time containing the long-standing problem of the flow of migrants.
With the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime, Libya underwent a rapid process of disintegration and division of powers over the territory. In this "chaos" everyone has played and are playing their dirty games and looked after their own interests.
Italy has had to resolve the issue of the flow of migrants on its own because, beyond the “stability of democracy”, declared threatened by Minister Minniti, political elections are approaching. On the issue of migrants, according to pollsters, the bloodiest electoral games were played. Resolving or at least minimizing the flows from Africa removes an uncomfortable "issue" for the current government from the next election campaign.
Although the affair may be a "self-help" for the government, because if the line of paid militias is confirmed, it is not a good story. Because a dam in full, like that of the flow of migrants, does not stop by killing only a fallacy, that is to pay the militias that control the traffic of migrants. Sooner or later the falla will slip.
By Massimiliano D'Elia