The United States military last month assisted in the rescue of 131 migrants who were stranded on the Mediterranean Sea off Libya’s coast. A statement released by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) last week said that the rescue mission was coordinated with Libyan and Maltese naval authorities and the U.S. European Command after it picked up a distress signal. AFRICOM commander U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend said that the unit’s routine surveillance along the North Africa Coast provided an opportunity to help the migrants. The country became a favoured departing point for migrants seeking to reach Europe by making the precarious sea crossing. General Townsend said that international cooperation remained the key to addressing major challenges such as the migrant crisis noting that U.S. leadership helped achieve unity of effort in this instance.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 03, 2020 12:11 UTC