The Italian contingent engaged in the Bilateral Assistance and Support Mission in Libya (MIASIT) continues to represent a fundamental stronghold of cooperation, stability and security in the North African region. The recent institutional and field visit, conducted together with a delegation of the Defense Commission led by Hon. Maria Grazia Chiesa, made it possible to renew the closeness of republican institutions to the men and women who operate daily between Tripoli and Misrata. On this occasion, welcomed by the Commander of MIASIT, Brigadier General Maurizio Settesoldi, and Colonel Nicola Castello, Commander of the Misrata Detachment, deep gratitude was expressed to the Special Forces, the authentic proud face of our Nation.

From the Continuity of Operation Hippocrates to MIASIT's Strategic Vision

Born in 2018 from the reconfiguration of the previous Operation "Hippocrates", MIASIT provides assistance and support to the Government of National Accord in Libya in harmony with the lines of intervention decided by the United Nations. However, faced with a Libyan region today heavily conditioned by a pervasive Russian presence, Italy is called upon to make a greater political and strategic commitment: to effectively counter this geopolitical danger, unilateral action is not enough, making mutual support with Turkey, also permanently present in the country, indispensable. To overcome the difficulties of the past, too often marked by inertia and emergency management, a radical paradigm shift is needed that transforms the mission into the linchpin of a 360-degree cooperation strategy founded on security and development.

Operational Pillars: Training, Instruction and Mentoring

The operational heart of MIASIT develops through targeted activities of training, instruction, support and mentoring in favor of Libyan security forces and government institutions, conducted both in Italy and in Libya to increase overall local capacities.

This architecture fits directly into the need for advanced Military and Security Cooperation:

• Stability rests on the construction of shared defenses. Italy must intensify active cooperation with reliable local security forces, providing training, intelligence and technical support essential to protect strategic critical infrastructure, such as pipelines, ports and oil facilities.
• A credible military presence, founded strictly on partnership and not on imposition, combined with strategic cooperation with key regional actors, constitutes the only effective deterrent against external interference attempting to exploit geopolitical voids in the Mediterranean.

Beyond Emergency: The Civil and Economic Dimension

Military security, however, risks remaining sterile if separated from structural socio-economic growth. This is where MIASIT's presence finds its natural completion in a vision of Civil and Economic Cooperation:

• Structural investments: Funds dedicated to civil cooperation must be multiplied tenfold, directed towards concrete projects of clean energy transition, advanced water resource management, agricultural development and modernization of civil infrastructure.
• Training and employment: Offering economic prospects and stable professional opportunities to Libyan youth represents the only structural barrier capable of stemming migrant departures, while simultaneously cutting off manpower to armed militias and organized crime networks.

The Structure of the Contingent

With the main Command deployed in Tripoli under the guidance of Brigadier General Maurizio Settesoldi and the operational detachment in Misrata commanded by Colonel Nicola Castello, MIASIT demonstrates how the projection of stability and dialogue with local actors can be integrated into an overall vision capable of protecting national interest, also by better recalibrating the military instrument towards Africa.