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By Hadi Fornaji.
Tripoli, 15 May 2016:
Libya is expected to call in Vienna tomorrow for the lifting of the UN weapons embargo . . .[restrict]to allow the new Presidential Guard to be fully armed and equipped.
In what appears to be a leaked draft of the document it will be presenting to the Libya summit, jointly chaired by Italy’s foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni and US secretary of state John Kerry, the Presidency Council additionally calls for the continuation of a strict embargo on the supply of any weapons to forces outside the control of the Government of National Accord .
In the six-point document, the PC also sets out its stall over the control of Libya’s military. It insists that, under the Libyan Political Agreement, it is the supreme commander of the armed forces. It also calls for all Libyan forces to unite under its authority, most particularly in the face of IS “and other terrorist groups”.
The PC says that it looks forward to working with the GNA to tackle criminal organisations including those involved in smuggling and human trafficking.
The document also praises the courage of those House of Representatives members who are backing the Government of National Accord. It appears to suggest that they should press ahead with a formal endorsement of the new government, independent of the-seeming minority of parliamentarians who have been blocking a definitive vote on the issue.
The statement concludes with a profession of full support for the efforts of UNSMIL chief Martin Kobler.
It was not possible to contact anyone in the PC tonight to confirm the authenticity of the document. [/restrict]
