Libya releases 18 Italian fishermen held since September

Last September, a group of 18 fishermen were captured by Haftar's forces. The fishermen's crew were on board two vessels, the Antartide and the Medinea, about 80 miles from Benghazi, when they were approached by the militia of the Libyan National Army of Haftar, the main military force in the east of the country.

The militia accused them of fishing in Libyan territorial waters and they were taken directly to a prison near Benghazi. The men were accused of fishing for red shrimp, which can cost between 50 and 70 euros per kilo. The dispute over these territorial waters is a dispute that has been going on between Sicily and Libya since 1990.

Weeks after their capture, Haftar allegedly offered to release the men in exchange for Italy releasing four Libyan footballers convicted of human trafficking. Seizures of Italian fishing boats became more frequent in 2005, when Muammar Gaddafi unilaterally decided to extend Libya's territorial waters from 12 to 74 miles off the coast.

Fishermen's families have taken to the streets on multiple occasions to protest the indifference of the Italian leadership. The group's prolonged imprisonment has become an embarrassment to the Italian government, as critics accuse ministers of failing to stand up to Khalifa Haftar, the military commander who dominates eastern Libya.

Finally, after more than 100 days in prison, the Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio, have flown to Benghazi for the release of the fishermen.

The group of sailors-eight from Italy, six from Tunisia, two from Indonesia and two from Senegal-had been detained since 1 September for allegedly operating in Libyan territorial waters, a claim that Italy has contested. The Italian foreign minister praised the work of Aise, the Italian secret service dedicated to missions abroad, for its efforts in the return of the fishermen.

"The government continues to strongly support the stabilisation process in Libya," he posted on Facebook, adding that he had conveyed the same message during a meeting on Thursday with Khalifa Haftar, the military commander and head of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). The Italian government has not specified what kind of agreement has been reached with the general and therefore it is not yet known what kind of concessions Italy will have to make. President Giuseppe Conte has also spoken out on social networks, boasting of the liberation of the fishermen.

The fishermen of the town of Mazara del Vallo in Sicily have depended for generations on these Mediterranean waters for their livelihood, but see their future increasingly threatened.

As fish stocks have declined and trawler capacity has improved, their boats have sailed further from port in recent decades in search of a lucrative catch, but in waters over which Libya has claimed sovereignty.