By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, June 9 2013:
The acting head of the General National Congress, Juma Ateega, has announced three days of national . . .[restrict]mourning as of today, in memory of those who were killed in yesterday’s protests in Benghazi.
Congress meanwhile held a special session today to review and discuss reports from the Ministry of Defence, the General Intelligence and the military about the tragedy and other recent security incidents in Benghazi.
In his statement, Ateega said that the Attorney General had been instructed by Congress to appoint a judge to investigate yesterday’s incident. He also urged the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff to take legal action against anyone who violated military rules and regulations, especially officers who made statements to the media without the knowledge of the Ministry or the Chief of Staff.
The government had been instructed by Congress to devise a plan, he said, to be actioned before the end of 2013, that would end the existence of quasi legal battalions as well as illegal armed formations in the country. Serving members of legal battalions were to be incorporated into the army as individuals, not as groups. This would to be achieved even if it meant using force, he added. [/restrict]
