IRINI completes first course for Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre operators in Messina
Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI has completed its first training course for operators of Libya’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCC). Hosted by the Italian Coast Guard’s Specialized Training Centre in Messina, the five-week course ran from 12 October to 13 November 2026 and brought together 18 Libyan personnel coming from Tripoli and Benghazi.
Staff of the future MRCC in Benghazi trained with colleagues already serving at the MRCC in Tripoli. The aim was to develop shared procedures and common standards, strengthening cooperation and interoperability across the country.
Instruction was delivered with the support of trainers from Italy, Belgium, Greece and France, together with the EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM Libya) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). EUBAM and UNODC contributed on human rights and standard operating procedures.
The Operation Commander of EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, Rear Admiral (UH) Marco Casapieri, thanked Admiral Reda Issa, Commander of the Libyan Coast Guard (Western Region), and Lieutenant General Khairi al-Tamimi, Secretary-General of the General Command (Eastern Region) for supporting the initiative.
The course is the first step in a broader training package that will progressively cover three categories of personnel: operators, coordinators and SAR decision-makers, with the goal of bringing the MRCC project to full operational capability.The second and third editions of the course are already in the planning phase.
Among its tasks, Operation IRINI supports Libyan law enforcement and maritime search and rescue institutions through capacity building and training. The project founded by Italy and Malta responds to needs expressed by the Libyan counterparts and identified through a structured dialogue. It reflects the European Union’s long-standing commitment to a stable and prosperous Libya, in line with the principle of impartiality.
