The commander of Operation IRINI, Admiral Fabio Agostini, confirmed that they knew of various violations of the arms embargo on both sides of the conflict in Libya, as well as of air traffic.
He said: “The potential violations of the arms embargo on Libya are roughly balanced between the “Government of National Accord” and the Libyan national army.
He indicated that having more means available will significantly facilitate the work of the mission, and that they need greater capabilities for air and ground surveillance.
The commander said in response to questions from the Italian parliamentarians during a hearing held by the Italian parliament Thursday to follow up on his report on violations of the arms embargo to Libya: “We need ships; The patrol area is as large as the size of the United Kingdom.”
“It is difficult to patrol through two vessels, as one of them must return periodically to the port for logistical reasons.” He added.
During the parliament meeting, Agostini stated that Operation IRINI had transmitted 18 reports to the United Nations, and that once the reports were sent; it became up to the Security Council and its Sanctions Committee to make decisions about potential violations.
The European Union launched Operation IRINI at the end of last March, with the aim of monitoring ships suspected of transporting weapons and fighters to Libya after the end of Operation Sophia.
The operation announced earlier that it had inspected about 1,400 ships and 130 flights, in addition to monitoring 25 airports and 16 ports and oil stations.
