Libya: another high placed defection; Ottawa expels 5

In latest news from the North African country, attacks by Gaddafi regime on rebel strongholds has provoked threats of diplomatic action by Tunisia. The areas of opposition lie close to the border between the two countries and Tuesday was marked by fresh clashes between rebel and government troops during which shells fired by loyalist forces actually landed in Tunisian territory. The government is now warning Gaddafi that it will report Libya to the U.N. Security Council if this happens again.

The Gaddafi regime has suffered a new loss as the Libyan Oil Minister Shukri Ghanem has apparently defected. While Tunisian officials announced that Mr Ghanem, a former prime minister, crossed into Tunisia by road before going to the island of Djerba, the Libyan government countered by saying that Ghanem had been on official business in Tunisia, but that Tripoli had lost touch with him.

The U.N. is warning that conditions in Libya are deteriorating and life-saving assistance is urgently needed. U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, Panos Moumtzis, was reported as saying, “Our concern for the west is that the situation in the west due to the sanctions, with the low availability of medical supplies, of food supplies, the fuel embargo, the cash flow shortages-it is really like a time bomb ticking where the longer the crisis lasts, the more grave the humanitarian situation is.” He went on to acknowledge the difficulties people are facing in the besieged city of Misrata noting however relief ships have been able to bring supplies to the port of Misrata from time to time and distribute food, water and other essential goods to the population. Moumtzis said that the situation in the capital Tripoli and in the Western Nafusa Mountains is worse adding that when he was in Tripoli two weeks ago, he saw for himself the terrible impact of the conflict and sanctions upon the people.

British trainers have joined French and Italian military advisors in Benghazi to assist the Libya’s rebel Transitional National Council of establishing an operational command structure capable of taking on the Gaddafi regime. Various papers are suggesting this may end up being part of the growing creep of Western countries becoming drawn into the conflict. Originally, the mandate was no more than maintaining a no fly zone over Libya, but France, Britain and others are finding themselves more and more obliged to help the rebels in their fight to overthrow Gaddafi. The stalemate which exists underlines the need to do something to tip the balance in favour of the opposition.

Canada has expelled five Libyan diplomats working at the Libyan Embassy in Ottawa. The notice on the web site of Foreign Affairs and International Trade reads:

(No. 136 – May 17, 2011 – 6:45 p.m. ET) The Government of Canada has taken steps to expel (declare persona non grata) five diplomats working at the Libyan Embassy in Ottawa.

The activities carried out in Canada by the five Libyan diplomats are considered inappropriate and inconsistent with normal diplomatic functions.

Canada has not severed diplomatic relations with Libya, but we have suspended the operations of the Embassy in Tripoli. The Libyan Embassy in Ottawa remains open.

The five diplomats and their families must arrange for their immediate departure.

While the Libyan Embassy in Ottawa remains open, Canada has shut operations of its embassy in Tripoli.

Apparently Canada is not the first country to expel Libyan diplomats. Earlier this month, France sent 14 Libyan diplomats home, while Britain declared two diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country.

(based on report from Al Jazeera, BBC, VOA, Telegraph, Montreal Gazette)

Euronews – May 17/2011

Tripoli says proof against corrupt rebels is intact

Bombs early this morning in Tripoli are said to have struck a Libyan police building and the headquarters of the anti-corruption service. Libyan officials said NATO was responsible. A French news agency journalist confirmed the destruction came in a raid by western-led coalition forces. Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim suggested that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s opponents got NATO to attack these buildings because this is where the evidence is kept of financial and political corruption by rebel leaders. But, he said, the files had survived.

France24 – May 17/2011

Libya : Oil Minister defects

Shokri Ghanem, chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corporation, has defected from Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s regime and fled to Tunisia, a Tunisian security source said on Tuesday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73c9KezpkIc

References

Wikipedia: Timeline of the 2011 Libyan civil war

The 2011 Libyan civil war began on 15 February 2011 as a civil protest and later evolved into a widespread uprising. On 25 February, most of Libya was reported to be under the control of the Libyan opposition and not the government of Muammar al-Gaddafi. Gaddafi remained in control of the cities of Tripoli, Sirte and Sabha.

5 May

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the Obama administration will free a portion of the more than $30 billion it has frozen in Libyan assets to support opponents of Moammar Gadhafi.

6 May

Amnesty International accuses Gadhafi’s regime of war crimes in Misurata by deliberately targeting and killing civilians.

13 May

Gaddafi states in an audio clip to NATO saying “you cannot kill me.”

17 May

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has issued a request for an arrest warrant against Gaddafi for ‘crimes against humanity.’

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