Violence by Proxy
On 24 September 2016, armed men of the so-called Libyan Coast Guard boarded the Iuventa in international waters. The captain's report recounts the events.
Daily report, 24.09.2016 – Boarding by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard
On the morning of 24 September, in rough seas, the Iuventa began search patterns in the 24-nautical-mile zone. Throughout the day, tedious phone calls with MRCC Rome dragged on over a distress case 90 nautical miles away.
In the middle of these search runs, the 2nd mate spotted a vessel on the radar approaching from the south at around 24 knots: on a direct course for the Iuventa. All attempts to reach it via VHF radio failed. We informed all surrounding coast radio stations, MRCC Rome and the Berlin office via satellite phone.
Soon it was clear: it was the so-called Libyan Coast Guard (LyCG), with a vessel of the Damen SP 1605 type. We prepared for the worst: the crew first gathered in the mess, then moved to the engine room in preparation for a lockdown of the ship. Only the captain and the Head of Mission remained on the bridge.
The Libyan vessel approached the Iuventa on the starboard side and ordered us to stop. Five people on board, all in uniform. Two carried machine guns. Communication was barely possible: the men spoke practically no English, we spoke no Arabic. We were shouted at without understanding what they wanted from us.
Our Head of Mission went on deck to de-escalate the situation, establish communication and hand over lines if necessary. Still at full speed, the coast guard vessel came alongside, ramming the Iuventa's starboard side. An armed man jumped on deck and pressed the Head of Mission against the wall with his weapon. A man who appeared to be the commander followed. The armed man "secured" the deck, machine gun at the ready, and gave orders to the rest of his crew. They too boarded the Iuventa and began searching the ship, aggressive in their conduct, weapons raised at all times. Our crew was brought up from the engine room; everyone was gathered on the bridge.
Facing the captain, the commander declared: "Libyan Coastguard, no problem. Just control." And then: "Leave my waters, leave my area, now!"
We did what we had learned from other NGOs with the same experiences: de-escalate, show hospitality and openness. In other words, we appeased and complied.