Egypt calls for arming the Libyan government

The Egyptian foreign minister spoke out in favour of lifting an arms embargo on Libya ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing conflict in the country.

Sameh Shoukry told his fellow diplomats in New York that Libya's internationally recognised government, which does not have control of the capital Tripoli and other major cities, needed to be better armed to take on the Libya Dawn militia.

Shoukry called on the Security Council to “assume its responsibilities in regards to the deteriorating situation in Libya” and to “reconsider the restrictions imposed on the Libyan government on arms deliveries”, the ministry said in a statement.

He also “underlined the need to allow countries in the region... to support the Libyan government's efforts to impose its authority and restore stability”.

Egypt launched air strikes on Islamic State group (IS, formerly ISIS) targets in Libya on Monday after the militants released a video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who had been kidnapped in the country.

A UN arms embargo has been imposed on Libya since the start of the uprising against long-term dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Libya has gradually descended into armed conflict between various different coalitions, grouped around Operation Dignity, which supports the internationally recognised government, and Libya Dawn, which has Islamist as well as Amazigh elements, and powerful militias from the city of Misrata.

Egypt has closed its airspace to Libyan flights, and has warned Egyptian fishermen not to enter Libyan waters.

IS fears

Other Mediterranean countries have also voiced their fears over IS establishing a base in Libya.

On Wednesday, Italy's foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni told his country's parliament that Italy was ready to rebuild Libya in the event of a ceasefire in its former colony, and warned that IS could take advantage of Libya's security vacuum to build a base for itself as it has done in Syria and Iraq.

“There is an evident risk of an alliance being forged between local groups and Daesh [IS] and it is a situation that has to be monitored with maximum attention,” Gentiloni said.

“We find ourselves facing a country with a vast territory and failed institutions and that has potentially grave consequences not only for us but for the stability and sustainability of the transition processes in neighbouring African states,” the minister added.

However, Gentiloni appeared to rule out any military action in Libya.

“Saying we are on the front line does not mean announcing adventures nor crusades,” he said.

“What we are doing as part of the anti-Daesh coalition in Iraq and Syria is the way a democratic country responds to barbarism and we are doing it in friendship with the vast majority of the Islamic community who refuse to see their faith hijacked.”

Libya's neighbour Tunisia is also taking steps to ensure that the fallout from the fighting in Libya does not cause problems at home.

Belhassan al-Weslati, the spokesman for the Tunisian defence ministry, told al-Araby al-Jadeed that his country was taking measures to protect its border with Libya.

“Tunisian army units have been deployed... as part of an overall defence strategy along the land and sea borders with Libya in order to secure it,” Weslati said.

“The only immediate threat to Tunisian stability is the infiltration of terrorist elements into the country in an attempt to aid sleeper cells in Tunisia.”