Tripoli based Libyan Prime Minister, Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba, made a televised speech to the Libyan people last night after a week of militia clashes, deaths and demonstrations calling for the downfall of his government. Here is a summary of the 30-minute speech:
- Aldabaiba admitted he was late in coming out and speaking to the Libyan people, but he said he did not want his words to be understood and interpreted in a reverse way to avoid inflaming the situation.
– The militias have dominated Libyan society on all levels since 2011 and have become even bigger than this state and when our government came to office they found this reality in front of them.
– Some militias left their militias and went back to their civilian lives. Others reintegrated in the state security apparatus and bureaucracy.
The third group remained militias.
– Abdelghani Ghnewa Al-Kikly (The Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) militia leader) was based in a densely populated area (Abusleem), (his brother) controlled six banks in the state and anyone who disagreed with him would go to prisons or a cemetery.
(Ghnewa died last week in contested circumstances after a meeting with Aldabaiba’s military commanders. Aldabaiba shed no light on the circumstances of Ghnewa’s death).
– Ghnewa had prisons and cells including in Abusleem Zoo. His nephew assassinated 15 people barbarically. They cut people up with saws. They imprison people in jails 1 metre square.
(The Aldabaiba government reports of mass graves in the Zoo)
– Ministers are summoned by Ghnewa and are coerced and blackmailed or they were imprisoned.
- The medicine that came from Iraq was caused by the Ghnewa militias after pressure on the (now suspended) Minister of Health Ramadan Abujanah. But we had opened Letters of Credit to import medicine in the millions from advanced states
-I cannot continue this situation (of militia dominance). It has become a point of shame. If I continue to deal with them, I will become like them.
- What happened in the Abusleem area that night (the takeover of SSA bases by government security forces aligned to Aldabaiba) was a successful operation in a quick time and without any damage, despite the densely populated area.
- I say to the people of Abusleem that injustice has been lifted from you and I will support the region more than before
- After the Abusleem operation, we issued a number of decisions, foremost of which was the appointment of the new head of the Internal Security Service.
- What happened the day after the Abusleem operation was a common mistake (in taking over bases belonging to the SSA and to the Judicial Police) and there was a rush to implement the decisions issued to impose the authority of the state.
- If I had intended war I would have left my house in Ben Ashour, an area of clashes
- We were surprised by the report of the International Criminal Court on the crimes of Osama Ngeem, who is responsible for prisons, so how can we trust the rapist (Ngeem) of a 14-year-old girl? (Ngeem is head of the Judicial Police and is supported by the Sug Il Juma Special Deterrence Force (SDF /RADA) militia led by Abdelraouf Kara and by Ghnewa.)
– Ngeem built up his Judicial Police into a militia – beyond just transporting and looking after prisoners
- I cannot accept the continued presence of the criminal Osama Njeem after I read it in the report of the International Criminal Court .
- I did not seek to get Njeem out of Italy, I do not know him, and I have never met him before. (Njeem was arrested by the Italian authorities upon the issue of an International Criminal Court warrant. But instead of handing him over to the ICC, the Italian authorities put him on a flight to Tripoli).
– I broke up the anti-migration force, which in itself became a militia, and merged it with the Interior Ministry
- The barrier of fear (from militias) is broken and blackmailers and criminals must not be defended
- What we have worked on in 4 years is very great services, from trade exhibitions and aviation (resumption of flights), reopening of embassies, and we breathed a sigh of relief
- For the first time, I say that you have hope to get rid of these militias, and the dream of the rule of law and institutions is almost a reality soon.
- I call on militia members to join state institutions and take what they lack rightly
- My project is continuing. Any party that sides with the state we will welcome and any party that continues to blackmail and practice corruption, we will not leave alone
- Attempting to sow discord with my family (the people of) in Sug Il Juma (where Kara’s SDF/RADA is based and supported) is not possible
- From the first day in office, I raised the flag of no more war between Libyans
- Those who do not want the capital Tripoli to stabilize are known and took advantage of the presence of the battalions (militias) and the Abusleem operation and started thinking about a coup project (against Aldabaiba’s government)
- The truth of the matter is that House of Representatives Speaker Ageela Saleh, High State Council contesting head Khaled Al-Mishri and Hafter want Tripoli and Libya to remain at the mercy of the militias in order to support them and act through them.
- The demonstrations that took place yesterday are disturbing, but I endured them because I know that some of them are real, but many of them are paid demonstrators.
- The majority of the international community, which wants a stable Libya, has supported our position and I have received many calls expressing its support for this process.
- Many delegations came to me today (yesterday) because they saw that there is a glimmer of hope in the end of these unjust militias that have dominated the necks of Libyans.
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