A specialized training center, supervised by the European Union Mission in Libya (EUBAM), has been inaugurated by the Border and Vital Targets Guard’s Chief of Staff.
The Head of the European Mission, Natalina Cea, commented that the opening of the advanced training center “follows a period of lengthy and fruitful collaboration.” She pointed out that this milestone “represents a significant step in their joint efforts to bolster border management capabilities in Libya, according to the ‘Our Government’ platform.”
Cea further highlighted that the aim of this cooperation is to “enhance the professional capacities of the border guards, and to establish a secure and robust border system that benefits Libya and its neighbouring countries.”
At the end of the ceremony, a document was unveiled detailing the mutual cooperation between the Border Guard’s Chief of Staff, and EUBAM.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Director of Moral Guidance, the Chief of Operations, the Director of Public Training, the Director of the Prime Minister’s Office, and a member of the Libyan-Italian committee.
Notably, Libya participated in the One Sahara Initiative, a regional project designed by the European Union to coordinate cross-border cooperation in the Sahel region. This includes states such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.
The initiative arose from the EU’s regional coordination momentum and EUBAM, leading to “promising” results in the latest meeting in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on 10-11 May 2023. Italy may play a significant role in the partnership.
The next meeting, which will present a roadmap for the initiatives to be implemented with EU and international support, may be hosted in Rome or Brussels.
Italy sees this as an important opportunity to achieve the Mattei Plan for Africa, promoting cooperation in economic, cultural, and training areas, and distancing itself from colonial remnants. Participation in European coordination initiatives in Africa is increasingly strategic for Rome and Brussels.
According to David Silvestri, a border advisor at EUBAM, the Mauritanian meeting has sparked confident reactions from EUBAM Libya, which “is looking forward to the next meeting with great hopes.”