European Union Eying Libya Mission

The EU is considering a possible civil or military mission in Libya if talks on forming a unity government succeed, sources said Friday, as concern grows over the threat posed by insecurity in the North African nation.

Foreign ministers from the 28 European Union nations meeting in Brussels on Monday are set to discuss ways of supporting any new administration that would be formed by a deal between Libya's warring factions.

Europe is increasingly worried about a tide of immigrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya's shores to flee violence and poverty, as well as the possibility of Islamic State group violence coming to its territory.

"We have in mind both military and civilian missions to contribute to the protection of an eventual government of national unity," a European official said on condition of anonymity.

This could "help a functioning government in its fight against terrorist activities."

U.N.-mediated talks in Morocco between Libya's rival parliaments are due to resume on Wednesday.

But the official warned that if the Libya unity talks fail "there is no plan B. No one knows what we would have to do" if Libya slides into full-on civil war.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, a former Italian foreign minister, has made Libya a "personal priority", another source said.

Mogherini told the European Parliament on Wednesday that the EU must "work on measures that would allow us to monitor a ceasefire once it's in place."

Italy, just 350 kilometers (217 miles) from the Libyan coast, is in the frontline of the migrant flow from Libya where the Islamic State group is capitalizing on the chaos to establish a toehold.

But the "ambitious" proposals have alarmed several member states that want no part of any military mission that would put EU forces up against Islamic State extremists.

European states are still divided over the U.S., French and British airstrikes that helped drive late strongman Moammar Gadhafi from power in 2011.