Armed men attack refugee rescue boat off Libyan coast

Médecins Sans Frontières vessel attacked with just crew aboard; hunt for assailants complicated by myriad militias in area

By Sue Surkes

You will receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

You will no longer receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

25 August 2016, 7:52 pm

Edit

Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter

In this four-picture combo people file photo try to jump in the water right before their boat overturns off the Libyan coast, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. (Italian navy via AP Photo)

Details emerged Thursday of a “shoot to kill” attack against a refugee rescue boat operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) off the coast of Libya earlier this month.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported that the attack from a speedboat — thought to be the first of its kind — was aimed at the Bourbon Argos, a vessel operated by the Geneva-based Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian organization.

A statement from the organization said: “MSF believes that the intruders aimed to physically harm the Bourbon Argos’s staff, but thanks to the sound security procedures enacted, all team members were safe. Nothing was taken during the incident and the damage to the ship was only minimal.”

The unidentified assailants shot at least 13 bullets at the boat’s bridge – the control area – and hit the bridge’s window “with an intention, we believe, to harm and potentially kill,” said Stefano Argenziano, operations coordinator for the mission. “These were professionals, they were not just random fishermen,” said Argenziano. “They were trained in military tactics and [in the] use of weapons.”

The crew managed to flee to to a safe room before the intruders climbed on board, The Guardian reported. Failing to reach them, the attackers left after around 50 minutes without taking anything. Damage to the boat was minimal.

Médecins Sans Frontières operates three boats off the coast of Libya to help rescue migrants who set out for Europe in non-seaworthy vessels in desperate search of better lives.

Illustrative: This handout picture released on the Twitter account of the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR Med) shows a shipreck of migrants and refugees off Libya, on May 26, 2016. (AFP/Marina Militare/STR/Twitter - EUNAVFOR Med) — Illustrative: This handout picture released on the Twitter account of the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR Med) shows a shipreck of migrants and refugees off Libya, on May 26, 2016. (AFP/Marina Militare/STR/Twitter – EUNAVFOR Med)

Since the start of 2016, more than 100,000 people have fled war and poverty in countries such as Nigeria, Eritrea and Gambia by making the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy. At least 3,100 have drowned along the way.

MSF has not yet managed to identify the assailants, The Guardian said. The hunt was complicated by the dozens of militias patrolling the Libyan coast — some of them smugglers.

The organization confirmed Thursday that its missions would continue as planned, and said it is currently trying to analyse what happened before taking any further steps. Argenziano emphasized that MSF was “specialized in working in emergencies and highly insecure contexts” and vowed the organization’s commitment to saving lives would not waver.