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UN: Migrants who Tried to Cross Mediterranean Brought Back to Libya

FILE - Migrants are brought to shore after being intercepted by the Libyan coast guard on the Mediterranean Sea, in Garaboli Libya, on Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad, File)
FILE - Migrants are brought to shore after being intercepted by the Libyan coast guard on the Mediterranean Sea, in Garaboli Libya, on Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad, File)
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UN: Migrants who Tried to Cross Mediterranean Brought Back to Libya

FILE - Migrants are brought to shore after being intercepted by the Libyan coast guard on the Mediterranean Sea, in Garaboli Libya, on Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad, File)
FILE - Migrants are brought to shore after being intercepted by the Libyan coast guard on the Mediterranean Sea, in Garaboli Libya, on Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad, File)

Nearly 500 migrants who tried to cross the central Mediterranean have been brought back to Libya, a spokesman for the UN migration agency said on Friday, two days after charity groups lost contact with the boat carrying them.

"Libya is an unsafe port where migrants should never be brought back," Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) wrote on Twitter.

He told Reuters there were 485 migrants and they docked in the Libyan port of Benghazi on Friday. No further details were provided to IOM at this stage.

Alarm Phone, a group that picks up calls from migrant vessels in distress, had no signs from the boat since Wednesday morning.

At the time, the boat was adrift, with no working engine, in high seas about 320 km (200 miles) north of Libya and more than 400 km away from Malta or Italy's southern island of Sicily.

The Italian Coast Guard reported on Thursday the rescue of 423 and 671 migrants in two separate operations in Italian search and rescue waters, and Alarm Phone said they were unrelated to the missing boat.

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Egypt Seeks to Deepen Ties with African Nations to Counter Common Challenges

18 September 2024, Egypt, Cairo: Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty speaks during a press conference at Tahrir Palace. (dpa)
18 September 2024, Egypt, Cairo: Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty speaks during a press conference at Tahrir Palace. (dpa)
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Egypt Seeks to Deepen Ties with African Nations to Counter Common Challenges

18 September 2024, Egypt, Cairo: Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty speaks during a press conference at Tahrir Palace. (dpa)
18 September 2024, Egypt, Cairo: Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty speaks during a press conference at Tahrir Palace. (dpa)

Egypt held a series of contacts and consultations with African officials to boost its relations throughout the continent.

Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty held telephone talks on Friday with his counterparts from Kenya, Congo Brazzaville and Guinea Bissau to discuss regional and international developments.

Experts said the contacts aim at “deepening Egypt’s presence in Africa.”

An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the talks tackled bilateral ties and means to strengthen them.

They discussed cooperation in various fields, including development, the economy, trade and investment.

The discussions underlined the importance of supporting development in Africa and achieving economic integration between its countries.

They stressed the need to intensify consultations and coordination to confront common economic, development and security challenges.

Abdelatty said Cairo was ready to support Congo Brazzaville through offering technical assistance and helping inaugurate sustainable development projects.

Former assistant minister of foreign affairs Ambassador Salah Halima noted that Egypt has intensified its talks with African countries in recent months.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the contacts aim to deepen its bilateral relations with African nations and to consult over pressing issues facing the Horn of Africa, Red Sea, central Africa and Sahel regions.

Former member of the Council for Foreign Affairs Ali al-Hafny told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt’s ties with Africa are now stronger than ever, noting the series of contacts and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's visits to various African countries.

Abdelatty had last month visited Gabon and Chad. Talks with officials focused on joint coordination over regional issues of common concern.

Al-Hafny said combating terrorism, resolving conflicts and supporting bilateral relations in the fields of infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and food and water security are top concerns in Africa.