No Result
View All Result
Monday, September 25, 2023
24 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Tue
24 ° Wed
25 ° Thu
25 ° Fri
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
 
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

Bashagha recognizes Hafter’s role

bySami Zaptia
February 16, 2019
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
Bashagha recognizes Hafter’s role

Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha has sent his government selection to the HoR ready for a vote of confidence session (Photo: MoI archives).

14
SHARES
59
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Sami Zaptia.

The PC/GNA Minister of Interior-designate Fathi Bashagha speking on Hafter, militias and foreign intervention (Photo: MoI archives).
The PC/GNA Minister of Interior-designate Fathi Bashagha speaking on Hafter, militias and foreign intervention (Photo: MoI archives).

London, 16 February 2019:

Libya’s Presidency Council and Government of National Accord (PC/GNA) Interior Minister-designate, Fathi Bashagha, said in an interview with Al-Hurra television Thursday that Hafter played a “national role” in his recent military action in the south of Libya.

On Libya’s militias he said that his government had reached “the end of the road” with them.

He also said that the U.S. was currently showing “increased interest” in supporting Libya’s political consensus.

RELATED POSTS

Eastern Libya authorities must lift restrictions on journalists: Amnesty International

23 flights of international aid from 12 states arrive in Libya within 24 hours – government asks UN to coordinate effort

On Libya’s militias

On Libya’s recalcitrant militias, Bashagha said that the understanding between Libyan security institutions (militias) had “reached a dead end”.

He stressed that “Libyans were fed up with the militias and their excesses … (and) these scenes (of militias) in the capital Tripoli”.

Bashagha said that his ministry had received the full support of Prime Minister Faiez Sarraj, “but there are other security institutions (militias) that hinder the efforts of the Ministry of the Interior.

But we have reached a dead end, and that is why we have resorted to the owners of the Libyan Political Agreement (signed in Skhirat in 2015), namely the House of Representatives and the High State Council to find solutions to these security institutions. ”

Libya’s instability

Bashagha, who is currently visiting the United States at the invitation of the US government, stressed that Libya’s political instability leads to security instability, “which is costly to neighbouring and Mediterranean countries.”

On Hafter’s push south

On the move by Hafter’s Libyan National Army (LNA) south and the dispute over control of the Sharara oilfield, Bashagha said that “the PC/GNA is concerned by any forces outside its control that expands or moves from place to place in Libya without consultation.”

Bashagha was referring to Hafter’s LNA launching an offensive in the south last month to fight hardline Islamists, Chadian opposition forces and smugglers across the border as well as to secure the Sharara oilfield that has been shutdown by the Natonal Oil Corporation (NOC) since December.

The shutdown and declaration of force majeure by the NOC was as a result of Sharara being occupied by locals protesting what they say are genuine grievances. The NOC’s chairman Mustafa Sanalla insists they are armed groups holding the NOC and nation to armed ransome.

Bagsagha said that what happened in the south (Hafter’s military action) was “acceptable from the national point of view” and that after Hafter’s action the south was now free of organized crime – crime which had been exacerbated by political divisions of Libya.

Bashagha gave the most supportive comment on Hafter to come out of a PC/GNA minister in recent years. But he qualified it politically.

“We hope that Hafar’s forces will only play their national role, not invest them politically in order to increase the division or achieve a gain because if this trend goes, I think there will be other repercussions,” he said.

Bashagha welcomed and then gave his own reading of the recent U.S. statement on Hafter and the military activity in the south.

The US statement expressed concern about the ongoing tensions in the southern Libyan region, called on all parties to establish mutually acceptable security arrangements and ensure the integrity of the National Oil Corporation and allow it to resume its work.

Bashagha said that “this statement may make the other party (Hafter) resort to reason.”

He added: “If Libya continues in this division, the division is not in favour of either the East or the West nor the South.

And, as I am the primary person responsible for security, security is indivisible. If there is security in Tripoli and if there is no security in the south or the eastern region certainly Tripoli will remain threatened “.

Looking forward he added “We hope politicians, dissidents or those who want to impose their opinion with the use of arms, or by the force of law, or by legislation, or by any other means – we hope they make concessions for Libya because the situation is not in their favour and not in the interest of anyone.”

Negative foreign interventions

On foreign intervention in Libyan affairs, Bashagha described these attempts as “negative”, noting that these interventions deepen Libya’s problems rather than solve them.

In response to a direct question about the Italian-French conflict in Libya, he said that “not only France and Italy, many countries intervene. We consider this intervention as a negative intervention and not positive because positive interventions should promote reconciliation between Libyans and bring the views closer.”

Bashagha refused to name any countries but went on to say that “There are five or six Arab or regional countries fighting in Libya, and there are two European countries that are clearly fighting, and certainly there are other countries. If the Libyan situation continues in this way, we will find other European and foreign countries fighting over Libya. ”

However, Bashagha saw an alternative solution to this conundrum.

“I think the security, economic and investment partnership with the US would protect Libya from the evil of these (foreign) interventions and this is what we are working on now.”

He concluded that “the United States is clear. Its interest is in the security file in terms of combating terrorism and the stability of Libya and supporting the Government of  National Accord and the search for reconciliation and the unification of Libya and the protection of the Libyan Investment Authority and the Central Bank of Libya and the National Oil Corporation”.

 

 
Tags: Fathi Bashagha Interior Ministerfeaturedforeign intervention interferenceKhalifa HafterLNA Libyan National ArmymilitiasNOC chairman Mustafa SanallasecuritySharara oilfieldUSA
Share6Tweet4Share1

Related Posts

UNSMIL: Warring parties invited to begin negotiations on 29 September
Libya

UNSMIL head Bathily calls on polarised Libyan political entities to follow their citizen’s lead by unifying post the Derna disaster

September 24, 2023
Libya’s eastern government meets Egyptian companies to discuss post Storm Daniel reconstruction
Libya

Eastern Libyan government calls for international reconstruction conference for Flood Daniel hit areas

September 24, 2023
Al-Ruqaii seizure violates human rights, says Amnesty International
Libya

Eastern Libya authorities must lift restrictions on journalists: Amnesty International

September 22, 2023
Providing psychosocial support to the thousands affected by Storm Daniel is a priority: UN
Libya

Providing psychosocial support to the thousands affected by Storm Daniel is a priority: UN

September 22, 2023
After the Derna dams disaster, dams in Benghazi and Sirte receive attention
Libya

After the Derna dams disaster, dams in Benghazi and Sirte receive attention

September 22, 2023
Minister of Local Government meets German and Italian ambassadors to discuss Flood Daniel aid and reconstruction
Libya

Minister of Local Government meets German and Italian ambassadors to discuss Flood Daniel aid and reconstruction

September 21, 2023
Next Post

14 Zawia refinery Tunisian employees kidnapped by armed gang

Anti-Hafter, Islamist militia coalition form political party

Anti-Hafter, Islamist militia coalition form political party

 

Advertise on LibyaHerald

Reach thousands of our site visitors daily

240 x 400px

Advertise Here
ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • Derna disaster update: Five Greek aid workers die in road accident, Spanish and Maltese teams return home

    Derna disaster update: Five Greek aid workers die in road accident, Spanish and Maltese teams return home

    97 shares
    Share 39 Tweet 24
  • UN’s Derna overview: Officially, only 3,958 confirmed dead and 40,000 displaced

    71 shares
    Share 33 Tweet 16
  • EU Copernicus satellite images of Flood Daniel hit Libya released

    54 shares
    Share 25 Tweet 12
  • Derna update: International aid continues to arrive, infrastructure damage update

    49 shares
    Share 21 Tweet 12
  • Civil Aviation Authority concludes meetings with Turkish Civil Aviation team inspecting airports for possible return of Turkish airliners

    53 shares
    Share 25 Tweet 12
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

UNSMIL head Bathily calls on polarised Libyan political entities to follow their citizen’s lead by unifying post the Derna disaster

Eastern Libyan government calls for international reconstruction conference for Flood Daniel hit areas

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Cart
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Sign In with Facebook
    Sign In with Linked In
    OR

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Sign Up with Facebook
    Sign Up with Linked In
    OR

    Fill the forms bellow to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
    Are you sure want to unlock this post?
    Unlock left : 0
    Are you sure want to cancel subscription?