Notorious trafficker in meeting with Italian intelligence officials - reports

A notorious human trafficker was in Sicily recently, attending a meeting to discuss controls on migration flows from Libya with Italian intelligence officials, The Guardian reports.

The Guardian states that Abd alRahman Milad, known as Bija, was present and took part in a meeting with Italian officials and a Libyan coastguard delegation in Catania

A 2017 UN security report described Bija as the head of the Zawiya branch of the coast guard. It reads, about Bija, that, “On 17 August 2016, a speedboat attacked a Médecins sans Frontières vessel off the Libyan coast. Two coast guard officers from the Dallah coast guard were involved in the attack. The two identified attackers are loyal to Abd al-Rahman Milad (alias Bija), head of the Zawiyah coast guard and involved in smuggling activities.” Separately, it states that Abd alRahman Milad (Bija), and other coast guard members, are directly involved in the sinking of migrant boats using firearms. The Guardian states that Bija is considered the leader of a criminal organisation.

Arguments have been made in the recent past by the humanitarian NGOs rescuing migrants out at sea that Libya is not a safe country for refugees to be taken to. However, in February 2017 the Italian interior minister had signed a memorandum with Libya’s UN recognised government for further cooperation with the Libyan coast guard.

This agreement, The Guardian reports, was reinforced by the Italian minister during a meeting in Malta with his German, French and Maltese counterparts.

The Libyan coast guard has also been the target of NGO criticism.

The Guardian continues by quoting Italian news agency Avvenire, saying that Bija had managed to obtain a pass to travel to Italy for the meeting. Bija was there in his capacity as a commander of the Italian coast guard, the news agency reports.