EU leaders tackle Tunis attack, IS threat in Libya
Federica Mogherini - Photo EU Council
(BRUSSELS) - European Union leaders vowed a strong response Friday to a growing terror threat after this week's deadly Tunis museum attack fuelled fresh fears about Islamic militants in neighbouring Libya.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack which left several European tourists dead, and on Friday Tunisia said the two gunmen had trained at a Libyan militant camp.
"This is an attack on Europe and Europe has to respond," EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said ahead of a summit in Brussels of leaders from the 28-bloc.
Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb agreed, saying that the security situation had "changed on the southern borders of Europe with the latest atrocious terrorist attack taking place in Tunisia."
"This will have an implication on our discussion on Libya as well," Stubb told reporters.
The leaders were expected to take up proposals to prepare a possible EU security mission in Libya once the country's warring factions agree a national unity government.
Foreign ministers approved the proposals earlier this week.
Mogherini, the former Italian foreign minister, has pressed hard on the issue, highlighting the threats to European security of IS gaining a foothold in Libya, and of an even bigger exodus of illegal immigrants.
Until now Europe has largely focused on the Islamist threat from the Middle East, especially in the wake of the Paris and Copenhagen terror attacks.
But it is increasingly turning a wary eye towards North Africa.
Tunisia has seen an upsurge in Islamist extremism since the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and sparked the Arab Spring uprisings around the region.
- 'Unite against IS' -
The EU leaders are expected to add a mention of the Tunis attacks to the section of their closing statement that deals with Libya, European officials said.
Mogherini said she expected the summit to give a "strong mandate to prepare all possible options" to help a future national unity government in Libya with the support of the United Nations.
Libya's rival parliaments were to resume UN-sponsored talks in Morocco on forming a national unity government and bringing an end to the violence wracking the oil-rich North African country.
"We are not planning an EU military intervention and outside intervention but all possible (options) of supporting even on the plan of security," Mogherini said.
Libya has descended into chaos since France and Britain provided military support to Libyan rebels who ousted long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.
Mogherini said she has already started discussions with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Arab leaders in the region concerned about the militant threat in Libya, including the Egyptian leadership.
"We need to unite against the threat that is growing in Libya," referring to the threat from Islamic State, which is also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh.
"The growth of the Daesh threat in Libya should be a chance for all partners in Libya, all of them, to unite against the threat of Daesh... not to fight among each other but to fight against a common threat," Mogherini said.