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By Saber Ayyub.
Tripoli, 15 January 2016:
Khalifa Ghwell has ordered the arrest of any members of the new Security Team appointed by . . .[restrict]prime minister-designate Faiez Serraj, who set foot in Libya Dawn territory.
In a gesture that reinforces the GNC’s rejection of the Government of National Accord and the presidential council that Serraj will head, Ghwell issued these instructions in his capacity as both the Tripoli administration’s prime minister and minister of defence.
He has today cited all 18 members of the Security Team, none of whom is currently in Tripoli or Libya Dawn areas. Serraj set up the body to oversea the secure establishment of the new government in the capital.
Headed by Brigadier-General Abdurrahman Attawil and Major-General Hamed Abud its task is to persuade Libya Dawn militias not to hinder the relocation of the new government from Tunis, where it is being formed, to Tripoli. Among its members are army and police officers.
Ghwell is clearly concerned to stop any Libya Dawn forces from talking to the Security Team. He warned all soldiers and police in Dawn areas not to be deceived by any promises Serraj’s people might make. Instead Ghwell has told the military prosecutor to detain and question them.
Meanwhile Serraj is also facing objections over the Security Team from his own people in Tunis. Ali Al-Qatrani, one of his two deputy prime ministers for eastern Libya has described some of the members of the team as “controversial”.
He singled out General Abdurrahman Attawil, a former Sebha-based southern regional commander as being affiliated with the Islamic militias who control Tripoli. At one point in 2012 some members of the GNC wanted Tawil sacked along with fellow southern commander Wanis Bukhamada because they had failed to control a rising tide of violence between local Tebu and Zwai tribesmen. [/restrict]
