Libyan analyst: Italy all talk, no action

Political analyst Ezzedine Aqil has sharply criticised Italy’s policy towards Libya, accusing Rome of failing to provide any meaningful assistance to help the country restore its sovereignty over its southern borders, despite having the capacity to do so.

In a post published on his official Facebook page, Aqil claimed that Italy and several other parties are undermining Libyan efforts to secure the borders by insisting on the involvement of the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) — which he described as “vague, ineffective and intrusive in sovereign affairs.”

Aqil went on to say that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has limited her engagement to “hollow threats and loud rhetoric,” while continuing to exert political pressure on Libya.

He recalled that Rome was among the countries that took part in NATO’s “Operation Odyssey Dawn” in 2011, which led to the collapse of the Libyan state and the weakening of its border control capabilities.

He further noted that while Meloni is willing to spend generously on supplying U.S. weapons to Ukraine, her government has failed to extend tangible support for stability and border security in Libya.