Tripoli: The European Union says it will mount a military operation to support humanitarian assistance in Libya, if asked.
In a written statement on Friday, the European Council said the headquarters of the operation would be in Rome. The commander would be Rear Admiral Claudio Gaudiosi of Italy.
The statement said that, if asked by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the EU force - dubbed EUFOR Libya - would help with the safe evacuation of displaced persons and support the activities of humanitarian operations.
The operation would cost EUR 9.8 million (USD 13.86 million), the statement said, while giving no details of what the operation would entail. Unless there is a new decision by the European Council, it would last four months at most.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, April 02, 2011, 09:39