Updated: 26 August 2025 14:16:49
Libyan Coast Guard Attacks Rescue Ship Carrying Sudanese Refugees
Moatinoon
In an incident described as unprecedented and dangerous, the rescue ship Ocean Viking, operated by SOS Méditerranée in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, was attacked with gunfire by the Libyan Coast Guard on Sunday, August 24, while it was in international waters north of the Libyan coast. 87 people were on board, 80 of whom were Sudanese refugees who had been rescued hours earlier.
In a statement issued on Monday, August 25, 2025, the organization explained that a Libyan patrol boat, a "Korobia," approached the ship and began firing directly at it for twenty continuous minutes, causing significant damage to the command bridge, communication and rescue equipment, and hitting the ships fast-moving rescue boats (RHIBS).
The statement added that the rescue crew, volunteers, and Sudanese refugees took shelter inside the ship throughout the attack, and no human casualties were reported despite the panic and extreme fear among the passengers.
The statement indicated that the attack occurred despite the ship being on its way in accordance with instructions from the Italian Search and Rescue Coordination Center, which allowed it to stop heading towards a designated landing port temporarily to search for another boat in distress.
The humanitarian organization described the incident as a deliberate attack targeting humanitarian workers and rescue capabilities, noting that the ship sent a distress call to NATO without receiving a response from the nearest Italian naval vessel.
The organization also accused the European Union and Italy of indirect responsibility for these violations, given that the boat used in the attack had been delivered to the Libyan Coast Guard by Rome in 2023 as part of a European program to support border and migration control.
SOS Méditerranée concluded its statement by calling for an urgent international investigation and accountability for those responsible for this attack. It also reiterated its call to halt any European cooperation with Libyan authorities on migration issues and end the policy of "criminalizing rescue," which leaves refugees and survivors at risk.
After the incident, the Ocean Viking continued sailing to the Italian port of Syracuse to evacuate Sudanese refugees and other nationalities and to carry out urgent repairs to the damage.
