Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TRIPOLI382
2008-05-12 16:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tripoli
Cable title:  

DEATH OF KEY LIBYAN OFFICIAL HAMPERS COUNTER-MIGRATION EFFORTS

Tags:  PREL PGOV PREF LY IT MT 
pdf how-to read a cable
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3424
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHVT/AMEMBASSY VALLETTA 0298
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RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 3928
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TRIPOLI 000382 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM AND NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/8/2018
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PREF, LY, IT, MT
SUBJECT: DEATH OF KEY LIBYAN OFFICIAL HAMPERS COUNTER-MIGRATION
EFFORTS

REF: TRIPOLI 0050

TRIPOLI 00000382 001.4 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Chris Stevens, CDA, Embassy Tripoli, Dept of
State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TRIPOLI 000382

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM AND NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/8/2018
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PREF, LY, IT, MT
SUBJECT: DEATH OF KEY LIBYAN OFFICIAL HAMPERS COUNTER-MIGRATION
EFFORTS

REF: TRIPOLI 0050

TRIPOLI 00000382 001.4 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Chris Stevens, CDA, Embassy Tripoli, Dept of
State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (SBU) Summary: High season for illegal migrants departing
Libya for European shores continues; more than half of a group
of 70 migrants that made landfall in Malta during a recent
48-hour window claimed to have departed from Libya. The
unexpected death of a key Libyan official has set back Malta's
campaign to improve Libya's performance in its search and rescue
area and efforts to finalize training and repatriation
agreements. End summary.

HIGH SEASON FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

2. (SBU) Maltese Ambassador Joseph Cassar pulled P/E Chief aside
for a conversation on illegal migration as the latter penned a
message in the condolences book for the recently deceased Sir
Anthony Mamo, the first President of Malta. Saying it had been
"a bad week", Cassar noted that more than 70 illegal migrants
had made landfall and requested asylum in Malta during a single
48-hour period earlier this week. More than half of the 70
individuals claimed to have departed from Libya's coast,
prompting Valletta to task its embassy in Tripoli to reiterate
requests that the GOL increase patrols in its Search and Rescue
area (SAR). Cassar noted that more vessels transporting illegal
migrants appear to be calling via satellite telephones to claim
distress and request assistance immediately after entering
Malta's SAR. He suggested that they did so to mitigate the
chance that they would founder before being rescued.

KEY OFFICIAL'S DEATH DIMINISHES LIBYA'S RESPONSIVENESS

3. (SBU) Cassar said the GOL's response to the Maltese demarche
had been "disappointing". He noted that the unexpected death
six weeks ago of Engineer Fawzi Ghariba, former Director of
International Cooperation for Libya's Port Authority-equivalent
and a key interlocutor on counter-migration efforts, had
negatively impacted the GOL's responsiveness on illegal
migration issues at a critical time. (Note: Launches from Libya
of vessels transporting illegal migrants typically increase in
spring/summer months to take advantage of improved weather and
/>sea conditions. End note.) Describing Ghariba's operating
style as "American", he said the late official played a key role
in finalizing recent Malta-Libya and Italy-Malta bilateral
cooperation agreements on migration issues (reftel). More
importantly, Ghariba was an energetic and efficient operator and
one of the only GOL officials who approached illegal migration
with any sense of urgency. In several cases, Ghariba had
galvanized the GOL to deal with migration issues and prompted
disparate GOL entities to coordinate their efforts through the
force of his personality. On instructions from Valletta, Cassar
has asked the GOL several times when a successor to Ghariba
might be identified; however, the GOL has demurred, saying it
would be unseemly to rush to appoint a replacement.

BROADER EFFORTS ON TRAINING, READMISSION AGREEMENTS ALSO IMPACTED

4. (C) Cassar said Malta has focused on enhancing training for
Libyan CG officials patrolling Libya's SAR area. He said
efforts to finalize an agreement to provide such training, as
well as a readmission agreement under which migrants found to
have entered Malta illegally could be returned to their country
of departure (Libya) rather than their countries of origin, had
been frozen since Ghariba's death. (Comment: A number of
European countries have been pursuing similar readmission
agreements with the GOL. All have encountered significant
difficulty in attempting to finalize those, suggesting that
factors other than Ghariba's death may bear on Malta's efforts.
End comment.) He encouraged the U.S. to continue focusing on
training and material assistance for Libya's CG. (Note: Two
Libyan CG officers are scheduled to participate in upcoming
training programs at a facility in Malta that uses a U.S. Coast
Guard curriculum. End note.) Suggesting that he did not agree
with Valletta's position that equipment donations [i.e., by
wealthier EU countries like Italy] to Libya to combat illegal
migration be predicated on the GOL "taking greater
responsibility" for its SAR, Cassar described the Libyan CG's
equipment needs as "considerable".

5. (C) Comment: The dramatic impact of the death of a single
official underscores the severely limited capacity of many
quarters of the GOL. Some of the lack of coordination likely
reflects the persistence of differing views within the GOL as to
how to address the problem. Some GOL officials maintain that
illegal migration is a purely external phenomena of which Libya
is a victim; they argue that Libya's responsibility for managing

TRIPOLI 00000382 002.4 OF 002


the trend is limited and that European states in particular
should devote greater resources to economic development and
other aid in sub-Saharan Africa to reduce migrant outflows. End
comment.STEVENS