By Ali Salem.
Tripoli, 21 December 2014:
Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Al-Dairi has said that terrorists behind Libya Dawn want to control oil . . .[restrict]resources to finance terrorism worldwide and to centre North Africa and Sahel terror operations in Libya.
Addressing the United Nations Security Council Friday, Dairi said that because of the government’s inability to monitor Libya’s very lengthy borders, illegal weapons and foreign fighters were moving in and out of the country more than ever.
Dairi said the challenges for Libya’s legitimate government have increased drastically in recent months, as groups in the eastern town of Derna have given their allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and “terrorist groups” have occupied the capital, .
The foreign minister stressed that international and regional cooperation must increase, particularly in information-sharing and the arming of the national military as it attacks terrorist strongholds in Libya.
“We cannot eradicate terrorism” continued Dairi, “without the presence of genuine international cooperation and good faith among all nations”.
In a live televised interview from New York City with Arabic Sky News following his speech at the UN, Dairi made clear the House of Representatives (HoR) backing for initiative by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya’s (UNSMIL) to bring all rival parties to the table for a comprehensive national dialogue.
The problem, he said, was that Libya Dawn was deeply connected to Ansar Al-Sharia and IS, both of which have been labelled as terrorist organisations by the international community.
Dairi was later due to meet White House officials in Washington. [/restrict]
