Libya is at war with human traffickers, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah said, according to an interview on the sidelines of the Italian-African summit in Rome with Italian Nova news agency, which added that he had indicated that Libya was in a state of war against human traffickers, who send migrants to die at sea.
Dbeibah also said Libya was against “criminals involved in smuggling oil, fuel, and drugs,” adding that the Libyan executive authority recognized by the United Nations, in reference to his government, launched a campaign in 2023 against human traffickers and fuel smugglers who operated along the coast of Tripoli, and used drones to combat those activities.
He said he believed that “this is an ongoing war against human trafficking and also against other criminals. Let us stop fuel trafficking, along with other trafficking such as cocaine,” describing it as a “complex issue.”
"Libya does not export immigrants, but it is a transit country. We are just a route from Africa to Europe. Libya is just a center, or the last stop before the sea,” he said, pointing out that Libya’s capacity is limited, and calling on the Europeans to cooperate and assist, especially the Italian government, to combat this phenomenon.
In his speech, Monday, during his participation in the Italian-African Summit in Rome, Dbeibah called for a move away from the security-based approach in dealing between Africa and Europe, stressing that the time has come to make a qualitative shift and recognize African countries as true partners in international development.
He added that "there are approaches that can address important issues such as immigration, political stability, and security," calling for moving towards a development approach that aims to enhance relations with the African countries to create a new reality.
Dbeibah also indicated that Libya held an energy and economic summit in Tripoli to enhance its vision for production for the benefit of African and European countries, pointing out that the importance of Africa does not lie only in the fact that it is a continent rich in various natural resources and wealth.
