Libya’s unity is a red line, and we will not allow it to be violated: Libyan Army’s Commander - Daily News Egypt
Commander of the Libyan Army Khalifa Haftar stressed on Saturday that “the unity of Libya is a red line that we will not allow to be infringed or compromised.”In a speech on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of Libya’s independence on Saturday, Haftar said: “Libya is still one and indivisible,” warning those who try to harm it. He added that the general leadership is announcing a final opportunity to draw up a roadmap that includes holding elections, saying: “We recall that we were the first to call for free, fair, and transparent elections… The UN mission must shoulder its responsibility to resolve the Libyan crisis.”Haftar also stressed the need to distribute oil revenues fairly without marginalisation. Furthermore, he called for tolerance, renouncing violence, and changing the media and religious discourse to unite the ranks of the Libyan nation. “We call on all cities and regions of the Libyan West for a Libyan-Libyan dialogue and the reunification of Libyans,” he asserted. In a letter to the family of former intelligence officer Abu Agila Al-Maraimi, who was extradited to the US judiciary for alleged involvement in the Lockerbie case, Haftar said: “We assure the family of Abu Agila that we will not leave them and demand a briefing on the circumstances of his arrest.”For her part, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the interim Government of National Unity Najla Mangoush said that Libya is “facing the challenges of the democratic transitional stage, and the accompanying risks of the decomposition of the state,” adding in a tweet that “what unites Libyans is greater than what divides them.”Furthermore, the UN Secretary-General’s Representative in Libya Abdullah Bataille appealed to all political leaders in Libya “to reflect on the image that history will remind them of.”In a statement, the UN envoy urged Libya’s leaders to be a driving force to resolve the protracted Libyan crisis by agreeing on a solution based on a national consensus, and “avoiding any escalatory actions that would threaten the unity and stability of Libya, which is already fragile.”
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 19:02 UTC
Al-Mangoush on Independence Day: We face challenges of democratic transition and dangers of state disintegration
Foreign Minister of the Government of National Unity, Najla Al-Mangoush, said that the country is facing today the challenges of the stage of democratic transition, and the accompanying dangers of dissolution of the state. However, she added in a tweet on the 71st anniversary of Libya’s Independence Day, "What unites Libyans is more than what divides them". Al-Mangoush recalled the renowned speech of late King Idris in Benghazi, telling the Libyans that “Preserving independence is more difficult than achieving it”. She added that ‘We look forward to completing this immortal march.’On December 24, Libya commemorates the 71st anniversary of its independence, amid international appeals to Libya's political leaders to be a driving force in resolving the Libyan crisis.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 18:41 UTC
Marshal’s speech is a final warning to those who reject the elections, Al-Fakhri says
Political analyst Basit Al-Fakhiri said that Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s speech today represents the last warning to all parties that reject elections in Libya and cling to power for their personal interests. “Field Marshal Haftar is close to the various groups of people, such as tribal leaders, youth, and representatives of local communities, and he is well aware that delaying the fulfillment of the people’s demands for holding elections will have dire consequences for these parties,” Al-Fikhri said in a statement to The Libya Update today. “Popular anger is a ticking bomb, and relative stability in Libya today is nothing but calm that precedes the storm. The war can return at any moment and everyone will be a loser if the voice of the people is not listened to and the executive authority is not changed and all expired legislative bodies are removed,” al-Fakhiri mentioned. Marshal Haftar had announced “a last chance through which a road map would be drawn up and elections would be held,” reminding that he was “the first to call for free, fair and transparent elections.”
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 17:18 UTC
Eastern Libyan leader announces 'final chance' for elections -TV
Libya's eastern military chief Khalifa Haftar (second left) gestures after a speech a rally marking the 71st anniversary of the country's independence from Italy in the eastern city of Benghazi on December 24, 2022. (Photo by Abdullah DOMA / AFP)ReutersBenghazi: The Libyan National Army of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar on Saturday announced "a final opportunity" to draw up a road map for elections, Libyan al-Hadath TV reported, a year to the day after rival factions agreed to hold the polls. "The General Command (of LNA) announces a final opportunity through which it will draw a road map and hold elections," Haftar was quoted by the TV channel as saying. After a 2020 ceasefire, the rival eastern and western sides agreed to hold elections on Dec. 24, 2021, and installed a new unity government that was meant to reunify divided national institutions. Libya has had little peace since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi and led to a 2014 split between the warring eastern and western factions.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 15:18 UTC
Eastern Libyan leader announces 'final chance' for elections
BENGHAZI : The Libyan National Army of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar on Saturday announced "a final opportunity" to draw up a road map for elections, Libyan al-Hadath TV reported, a year to the day after rival factions agreed to hold the polls. Many Libyans believe their political leaders are unwilling to find a way out of the endless political logjam because elections could push them all from power. "The General Command (of LNA) announces a final opportunity through which it will draw a road map and hold elections," Haftar was quoted by the TV channel as saying. After a 2020 ceasefire, the rival eastern and western sides agreed to hold elections on Dec. 24, 2021, and installed a new unity government that was meant to reunify divided national institutions. Libya has had little peace since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi and led to a 2014 split between the warring eastern and western factions.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 14:23 UTC
Eastern Libyan commander announces 'final opportunity' to hold elections -TV
Dec 24 (Reuters) - The Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar on Saturday announced "a final opportunity" to draw up a road map for elections, Libyan al-Hadath TV reported. Haftar waged war on factions in the west after the country split in 2014, including a 14-month offensive to capture Tripoli which was repelled by the internationally recognised government. As its political stalemate festers, Libya has risked sliding back towards civil war with politicians thwarting progress towards elections and military leaders threatening violence. (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba, Ayman al-Warfalli and Ahmed Elumami; Writing by Enas Alashray; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 13:53 UTC
Libya celebrates its 71st Independence Day
Libya celebrates Saturday the 71st anniversary of its independence, which came after decades of struggle against the Italian colonizer. From the balcony of al-Manar Palace in Benghazi, King Muhammad Idris al-Senussi officially declared Libya’s independence on December 24, 1951. On that day, King Idris said, “We announce to the honorable Libyan nation that, as a result of its jihad and in implementation of the United Nations resolution issued on November 21, 1949, the independence of our dear country has been achieved, with God’s help.”In 1969, Muammar Gaddafi led a military coup on the Kingdom and governed the country for 42 years, until 2011, when he was killed during a popular revolution supported by NATO forces.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 13:21 UTC
Arab information ministers meeting kicks off in Tripoli
Meeting of Arab information ministers kicked off Saturday in Tripoli, as part of the closing activities of “Tripoli the Capital of Arab Media 2022.”The Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and Head of the Information and Communication Sector, Ambassador Ahmed Khattabi, representative of the League’s General Secretariat, expressed his thanks to the Libyan organizers for the good organization of this event. “We congratulate Tripoli on its merit for being chosen as the capital of Arab media,” he said. For his part, Walid Al-Lafi, Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs of the outgoing Government of National Unity (GNU), called for coordinating Arab positions to solve decades-old problems.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 13:21 UTC
The start of the consultative meeting of Arab information ministers in Libya
The work of the consultative meeting of Arab information ministers began today in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as part of the closure activities of Tripoli, the capital of the media Arabs 2022. Walid Al-Lafi, Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs in the Government of National Unity in Libya, said at the beginning of the meeting that the Libyan state renews its support for Arab initiatives to improve the image of Arabs in the face of campaigns targeting Arab identity, which stems from Libya’s central role and position in joint Arab action through Components of the League of Arab States. During the meeting, Al-Lafi called for coordinating Arab positions to resolve decades-old problems.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 11:52 UTC
UN envoy: Libya’s Independence Day feels bittersweet this year because it marks first anniversary of elections postponement
UN envoy to Libya Abdoulaye Bathily has said the 71st anniversary of Libya’s Independence Day this year “feels bittersweet as it also marks the first anniversary of the postponement of general elections which were supposed to be held on 24 December 2021.”“On the eve of the 71st anniversary of Libya’s Independence Day and on behalf of all UN personnel serving in Libya, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Libyan people. This year, however, Independence Day feels bittersweet as it also marks the first anniversary of the postponement of general elections which were supposed to be held on 24 December 2021. He called upon all Libyan leaders to consider how they wish to be remembered in the history of their country. Libyan leaders must map an end to the transitional period, bring the country to elections and respect the people’s right to determine their future,” according to Bathily. “The UN will spare no effort in working with all parties constructively, inclusively and firmly to support Libyan leaders to prevent further division and avoid wasting more time,” he added.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 10:25 UTC
Gaddafis Son Must Obey Requirements Of ICC
CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th December, 2022) Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gaddafi, the son of former head of Libya Muammar Gaddafi, must obey the requirements of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the head of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh told the Al-Arabiya tv channel on Friday. ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in 2020 that Libya has an obligation to arrest Gaddafi and hand him over to trial. "Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gaddafi must obey the rules of the International Criminal Court," Dbeibeh told the TV channel. Earlier in December, the Libyan court of Sabha city annulled the decision of the country's election commission to suspend Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gaddafi, the son of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, from the presidential race. In November, Gaddafi's defense team appealed the decision of the Libyan High National Election Commission to suspend Gaddafi from the presidential race.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 01:06 UTC
Violence against women and girls in Libya must end: UN expert
The militia said 17 of its fighters had died in Turkish chemical weapons attacks in the mountains and caves of northern Iraq. “As a human rights defender, I have a responsibility to defend freedom of expression and the public’s right to information,” she told the court. Fincanci is known in Turkiye as both a forensics expert and a human rights campaigner who openly speaks out against Erdogan’s government. “Fincanci has dedicated her life to upholding human rights and dignities through her pioneering work documenting torture,” the New York-based Physicians for Human Rights campaign group added. “It’s actually a golden opportunity for a human rights advocate such as me.”
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2022 00:05 UTC
Libya: Alarming Levels Of Violence Against Women And Girls Must End, Says UN Expert
Libya: Alarming Levels Of Violence Against Women And Girls Must End, Says UN ExpertGENEVA (23 December 2022) – A UN human rights expert today called on the authorities in Libya to take urgent steps to protect all women and girls in the country from rampant violence and mistreatment, to fully implement prevention measures, and ensure protection and support for victims. Following an eight-day visit to the country, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Reem Alsalem, said urgent action was needed to end the continuous cycle of violence against Libyan and non-Libyan women and girls which is compounded by complete impunity for crimes committed. “I have left Libya feeling deeply disturbed at the widespread, systematic, and grave levels of violence faced by Libyan women and children, including girls. Opportunities for access to fair asylum procedures, evacuation opportunities, and voluntary returns to their countries must be scaled up,” the Special Rapporteur said. She holds a Masters in International Relations from the American University in Cairo, Egypt (2001) and a Masters in Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2003).
Source:Libya Today
December 23, 2022 23:42 UTC
Thousands of flights canceled today in US and Canada
Chaos at airports as thousands of US and Canada flights canceled todayThousands of flights have been canceled in many major airports in the United States and Canada due to extreme weather. Thousands of flights have been canceled in many major US airports due to extreme weather. Southwest Airlines has been affected the most, with almost 800 flights, about 20% of its whole schedule, canceled for the day. Alaska Airlines canceled 41% of its schedule with 321 flights grounded. Canadian carrier WestJet has also cancelled all flights at Toronto Pearson International Airport today, blaming the “prolonged and extreme weather events” across Canada.
Source:Libya Today
December 23, 2022 23:14 UTC
Crown Prince of Libya Prince Mohammed El-Senussi's Address On The Occasion of Libya's 71st Independence Day - Ucommune International (NASDAQ:UK)
On the anniversary of Libya’s 71st Independence Day celebrations, Libyan Crown Prince Mohammed El-Senussi delivered his annual address, televised on major Libyan TV channels. Focusing on re-unification and national pride, the Crown Prince highlighted Libya’s pressing need for new, honest political leadership and an especially acute need for the rule of law. The Crown Prince also emphasized the role that he is personally willing to play in a new political system, if asked to do so by the Libyan people. Restoring the 1951 Constitution, and with it our national identity, is an obvious choice, procedurally, politically, and democratically. We celebrate our independence with the hope that very soon, under the leadership of our Crown Prince Mohammed, Libya will return to better days.”Media ContactCompany Name: Prince Mohammed El-SenussiContact Person: Office of HRH Prince Mohammed El-SenussiEmail: Send EmailCountry: United KingdomWebsite: https://mohammedelsenussi.org/Press Release Distributed by ABNewswire.comTo view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Crown Prince of Libya Prince Mohammed El-Senussi's Address On The Occasion of Libya's 71st Independence Day
Source:Libya Today
December 23, 2022 23:02 UTC