By Libya Herald reporter.
Benghazi, 1 February 2017:
In an all-too-familiar scene, Colonel Saleh Ahmed Hwaidi who was dismissed three days ago as head of Benghazi’s security directorate is refusing to go.
He says that his removal by the Beida-based interim government’s acting interior minister, Adel Abdulaziz Omar, was invalid. He claims that Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni knew nothing about his dismissal and replacement by Saleh Al-Khafaifi.
However, he is reported saying that he will abide by the law and go if officially removed, but only if there is an order from both Thinni and the head of the House of Representatives, Ageela Saleh.
Demonstrating that that he was still very much in charge of security affairs, Hwaidi held a meeting today in front of the TV cameras with Jamal Zahawi, head of the LNA’s 21 Brigade (the Zawia Martyrs Brigade), to discuss security plans for the return of residents to the Garyunis area. Yesterday, again in front of the cameras, he opened the new temporary headquarters for the Benghazi security directorate before moving on to carry out a number of other publicly viewed activities.
The man appointed to take over from him, Colonel Khafaifi, was meanwhile yesterday meeting with numerous interior ministry officials with whom he is supposed to liaise and collaborate.
Hwaidi’s refusal to go replicate that of his predecessor in the post, Mustafa Al-Ragaig, who was dismissed three times before he eventually departed.
