The assertion by General David Rodriguez, the head of the US Africa command, that Islamic State militants have set up training camps in eastern Libya, is extremely worrying, but not surprising.

General Rodriguez said there could be “a couple of hundred” IS fighters at these sites, and although the camps were at a very early stage, the US was watching them “carefully to see how it develops”. Some of these fighters are believed to be rebels who left to fight with militant groups in Syria after the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime, and who have now returned to Libya.

Although it is likely that IS would rather concentrate on trying to keep the territories it controls in Iraq and Syria than open up a new front in Libya, their presence in the country is still a matter for concern and should not be ignored.

With Libya in turmoil, and the eastern city of Benghazi under the control of the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar al-Sharia, it was always a matter of time before IS raised its ugly head in the North African country. Although IS does not yet control territory in Libya and is still a very small fighting force, its presence there should sound alarm bells throughout the EU (and especially Malta and Italy). IS, after all, is in the EU’s back yard, and its presence there needs to be tackled now before things get out of control.

Times of Malta reported on Friday that European countries are coordinating their intelligence amid concerns that IS was gaining a foothold in Libya. Foreign Minister George Vella told the newspaper that both the EU and Nato were monitoring the situation and a number of Mediterranean states were holding discussions on how to tackle this latest threat from IS. This is good, but hopefully the international community’s focus will be on preventing IS from establishing itself in Libya, which means a massive effort is needed aimed at stabilising the country, negotiating with all sides in the conflict (not the jihadists) and isolating IS.

The situation in Libya has been deteriorating for some time now and Malta recently recalled its two remaining diplomats from its Tripoli embassy. Three years after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, the country has two rival parliaments and governments, one in Tripoli – which is under the control of an alliance of Islamic militias from Misurata – and the other in Tobruk, where the internationally recognised administration is based. The two sides are engaged in a bloody conflict which is tearing the country apart. Having Benghazi under the control of Ansar al-Sharia, of course, makes the situation much more complicated.

The European Union needs to redouble its efforts aimed at getting the Tobruk and Tripoli governments (headed by Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni and the leader of Libya Dawn, Omar al-Hasi, respectively,) to speak to each other. Reconciliation and dialogue between the two sides is the only way forward to resolve this crisis, and the ultimate aim should be the formation of a power-sharing government, even if this sounds impossible at this stage.

I have no doubt that there are elements within the EU who have an aversion towards the militias from Misurata because of their ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ or ‘Islamist’ label. This is wrong and Brussels should fully engage with the Tripoli government on the same level as it does with the Tobruk administration – this is the position of the Maltese government and I believe it is a correct policy.

Neither side, furthermore, is likely to win this conflict – indeed their fighting will simply make Libya more chaotic and unstable, meaning groups like al-Sharia and IS will continue to thrive – so those countries which seem to be arming the two rival governments (Qatar and Turkey for Libya Dawn; and Egypt and the United Arab Emirates for the Tobruk forces) should instead be encouraging them to negotiate with each other.

IS, after all, is in the EU’s back yard, and its presence there needs to be tackled now before things get out of control

In the meantime, plans must be drawn up to isolate both al-Sharia in Benghazi and IS in eastern Libya, and to have an effective military strategy in place to take on these two groups if necessary. A retired Libyan general, Khalifa Haftar, is presently battling Al-Sharia in Benghazi, and there have also been reports of Egyptian airstrikes against this al-Qaeda-linked group. We can expect more Egyptian intervention in Libya in the near future, especially if IS expands its operations there.

Ultimately, however, the only way the jihadists are going to be defeated in Libya is if the country has one functioning government, recognised and supported by the international community and a return to a reasonable level of stability. A power-sharing agreement between the two sides is absolutely necessary, and it will be the Libyans themselves who will have to take on the jihadists.

The prospect of a failed State in Malta’s back yard is indeed very bad news. A mass exodus of refugees and a haven for al-Qaeda or IS will have terrible consequences not only for our economy and security, but for the entire Mediterranean. Hopefully Malta will continue to make its voice heard in EU circles for more action on Libya.

• US Secretary of State John Kerry’s declaration, at a meeting of the anti-IS coalition in Brussels, that months of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria had damaged the militant group’s capabilities, is encouraging.

Kerry also said the fight against IS may take years but that the coalition will engage in this campaign “for as long as it takes to prevail”.

The news, furthermore, that Iran has conducted airstrikes against IS targets in Iraq (which it denies) is also very interesting and shows that Washington and Teheran have something important in common: they both want to destroy IS. Can this be a good basis to take US-Iranian ties forward?