European Union governments agreed on Wednesday to send advisers to Libya to help improve border security in response to concerns that Islamist militants and weapons are moving freely across the North African country's frontiers. The 110-member EU civilian team, expected to start deploying in Libya next month, will advise and train Libyan officials on strengthening land, sea and air borders, an EU statement said.
Security remains a major concern in Libya long after a revolt and a Nato bombing campaign led to the death of former leader Muammar Qadhafi in October 2011. One of the triggers of the crisis in Mali was the return from Libya of heavily armed fighters, once in the pay of Gaddafi, to the West African country, security experts say.
Those gunmen inflated the ranks of separatist and Islamist groups that launched attacks on Mali's army in early 2012. Now, following France's military intervention in Mali, there is concern that militants are moving in the opposite direction. Niger's foreign minister urged major powers in an interview with Reuters this month to act against Islamist militants who had found shelter in Libya's vast southern desert and, he said, posed a growing threat to neighbouring countries.
Mohamed Bazoum said Niger had information that Islamists who had been driven out of northern Mali were setting up bases in Libya's lawless south, which borders Niger. The Libyan government has also said it is worried about an influx of al Qaeda-linked fighters from Mali. The European team, being sent at Libya's request, will have a budget of 30 million euros ($39 million) for its first year and be based in Tripoli, the EU statement said.
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