EU and Libya hold first joint CBRN drill in Tripoli

Libyan first responders took part in a CBRN training and field drill in Tripoli from 11 t0 15 October. It was the first exercise of its kind organised jointly by the EU and Libya.

The scenario was a chemical terrorist attack in a crowded venue, causing a mass-casualty event with severe respiratory injuries. The drill tested how Libyan agencies coordinate their response, secure the site, decontaminate and treat victims under time pressure. It was designed around the risk of non-state actors acquiring and using toxic chemicals widely used in industry and hard to control.

Eighty-six participants and regional observers took part, guided by five international experts from the EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE). Teams used the exercise to review existing procedures and identify improvements in inter-agency coordination.

The drill was organised under Project 106 – TEST of the EU CBRN CoE, part of the EU Global Threats programme, and ties into the EU's Pact for the Mediterranean.

Libyan defence officials and members of the National Authority for the Implementation of Chemical and Nuclear Weapons Ban Conventions attended the closing ceremony, as did Matthias Kaufmann, deputy head of the EU Delegation to Libya.