Two Italian fishing boats captured in Libya by Haftar’s soldiers. 24 hours before Di Maio visits Tripoli from Al Sarraj

Two fishing boats from Mazara del Vallo they were arrested by the military of general Haftar a few hours after the minister’s visit Luigi di maio at the Al Sarraj headquarters. The incident took place last night 35 miles off the coast of Benghazi, when three military units approached a group of boats that were fishing for the renowned red shrimp. Immediately the two fishing boats ‘Antarctica’ and ‘Medinea’ were blocked and taken to the port of Benghazi, while two other fishing boats “Anna Madre” from Mazara del Vallo and “Natalino” from Catania managed to escape by reversing the route, but the commander and the first officer were brought in Libya. The case is monitored by the general command of the Port Authorities and by Farnesina and according to the first information reported by the owners, the 18 crew members would be in good health.

Complaints from the Benghazi authorities concern non-compliance with the EEZ (Exclusive economic zone) that since 2005 has been extended by the Libyans up to 74 miles, based on the Montego Bay Convention of 1982, unilaterally adopted by the then government of Muhammar Gaddafi. Last year, after the attempt seizure nine fishing vessels, to ensure the protection of crews operating in the Mediterranean, Federpesca he had reached an agreement with an authority controlled by General Khalifa Haftar’s men. According to the agreement, to fish off the Libyan coast, the shipowners would have to pay a ‘lace’ to the strongman of Cyrenaica that the UN does not like. After posting to the Daily occurrence the agreement was canceled.

In recent weeks, the Libyan government of Fayez al Serraj, recognized by the UN, had announced a ceasefire, calling for the resumption of oil production and the demilitarization of the area of ​​Sirte, the city that forms the dividing line between Tripoli and Benghazi. A truce rejected by Haftar’s men, defined as “only marketing” by the LNA (Libyan National Army) spokesman. In the last few days the head of diplomacy from Brussels arrived in the capital, Josep Borrell, to reiterate that stability in Libya is an “absolute priority for the European Union”. A concept also reaffirmed by Chancellor Luigi di Maio, who yesterday returned to Italy after a visit to Tripoli in which he met with al Serraj and the president of the Tobruk parliament, Eagle Saleh, offering “the support of Italian companies“On the reboot in Libya.