Migrants drown off Libya

At least 14 African migrants trying to reach Italy drowned when their boat sank off the coast of Libya, and three other passengers were missing, the Libyan Interior Ministry said.

The boat had aboard 23 illegal migrants - from North and Sub-Sahara Africa countries - when it sank off An Noukat al Khams area, some 30 kilometres west of Tripoli, a few hours after it left Libya for Italy on Sunday. A ministry statement, carried by state news agency Jana, said security forces had recovered 14 bodies, rescued six people and were still searching for three missing illegal migrants.

Libya had initially dismissed calls by Italy and other European Union governments to stem illegal migrants to Europe via Italy, arguing that fighting illegal immigration needed cooperation between poor Africa and the rich European bloc.

But Tripoli has recently stepped up efforts to crack down on illegal migrants from poor North and sub-Sahara African states as part of a larger Libyan diplomatic drive to win over the West after it promised to abandon its programmes of prohibited weapons in 2003.