Acting Tripoli based Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi revealed during a press conference held in the Libyan capital on Friday the details of meetings held Thursday/Friday with security forces (including the main militias), ostensibly about coordinating security within the capital.
In reality, the meeting, amongst other security issues, was a show of hands as to which militia was going to forcefully remove the sitting Central Bank of Libya (CBL) Governor, Saddek El-Kaber, and which were going to resist it or be neutral.
According to Trabelsi, it was agreed at the meeting that there will be no attack on the CBL, stressing that the decision to change the CBL (Governor/Board) was issued by an official body, which is an administrative matter that is not the competence of the security services.
The interior minister added: “We warn against dragging security institutions into political battles.”
Trabelsi continued: “We hope that the House of Representatives and the High State Council will reach a consensus on the crisis of the CBL.”
The interior minister confirmed that all military forces in the capital handed over the CBL file to the Presidential Council, the House of Representatives and the State.
He explained that the Deterrence Force, the Support and Stability, the Public Security and 444 forces have security control inside the capital Tripoli and have done a lot to achieve justice.
He pointed out that it was agreed at the meeting to hand over airports and ports to official (non-militia) agencies only.
Trabelsi warned that the plan includes the withdrawal of all security services in the capital to their headquarters – leaving only Interior Ministry forces.
Trabelsi said there would be no unofficial forces (militias) at Misrata and Mitiga airports.
The Acting interior minister also assured that his ministry will follow up on the release of detainees released by the Public Prosecution or the judiciary.
He pointed out that the solution to the political crisis in the country is elections, calling on the actors to finalise the political agreement and hold elections.
Later in the day the Interior Ministry confirmed that it had taken over the security of the CBL. Trabelsi assured that all responsible personalities, government agencies, including ministries and the Audit Bureau, will now be secured by the Interior Ministry.
Trabelsi had promised Tripoli would be freed of militias in February too
It will be recalled that during a press conference in Tripoli in February, Trabelsi, claimed that Tripoli will be evacuated of security and military apparatus ‘‘soon’’.
He had added that this includes evacuating the security checkpoints and centres in the entire western region and handing over these tasks to Security Directorates according to regional jurisdiction. Security Directorates are official state police forces that are part of the Interior Ministry.
Aldabaiba lauds the role of a unified army (versus warlords and militias) (libyaherald.com)
