By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 16 November 2014:
Five Libyan civil society organisations issued a public apology to the UK, and more specifically . . .[restrict]to people in Cambridgeshire, for the behaviour of a handful of military trainees that resulted the British government deciding to send the entire batch of 300 men home early.
In a joint letter sent to British Ambassador to Libya Michael Aron, the five organisations — the Libyan General Medical Council and Syndicate, the Libyan Business Council, the Libyan Labor Union, the Libyan Private Clinics Union, and the National Association of Autism’s Friends — expressed a “profound and heartfelt” apology for the “shameful” acts, and said that they prayed that God would heal any injuries inflicted upon the victims, their families and their communities.
Those who committed the crimes had not only hurt their victims and their families and their British hosts, they had caused deep pain and disappointment to the Libyan people, the letter stated.
The organisations went on to say that they prayed that the incidents would not affect the “strong” relationship between the Libyan and British people.
“This is a relationship we value and which has survived decades past and we hope continues into the future,” they said.
The cadets were dispatched this summer for six months’ basic training at Brassingbourn Barracks in Cambridgeshire, UK as part of the UK government’s initiative to aid Libya in the building of a national army.
Since the decision was made to send the cadets home early, some of the recruits have complained to the BBC of “poor treatment” and “inadequate accommodations” while at the barracks.
There has been no public apology given by Prime Minister Abduallah Al-Thinni or anyone from the the House of Representatives to date.
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