States at U.N. say ready to help Libya combat Islamist militants

A group of mainly Western and Arab states have expressed readiness to help Libya’s government combat a growing presence of Islamic militant groups in the North African country. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the conflict in Libya, which is suffering its worst violence since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since the fall of Gaddafi, Libya’s government has been unable to control rival militias of heavily armed former rebels, who once fought against Gaddafi but now refuse to disarm and count on semi-official support from ministries or politicians.

The meeting recognized the lead role of the government of Libya in addressing the growing threat of terrorist groups, and the readiness to support the government in this regard.

Chairman’s summary of the meeting

Libya is now divided. The government and elected parliament have relocated to Tobruk in the far east since losing control of the capital, Tripoli, where a rival government has been created by forces from the western city of Misrata. Western countries are particularly concerned by the presence of Islamist militant group Ansar al-Sharia in Libya, which the United States blames for killing its ambassador and three other Americans in 2012 and classifies as a terrorist organization. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius insists the group should be placed under U.N. sanctions. “The efforts that are being used to fight Daesh (Islamic State) to limit the movements of foreign fighters and financing should also be used for these groups,” Fabius said, referring to the militant group that has seized swaths of Syria and Iraq. He said reconciliation alone would not neutralize Ansar al-Sharia and similar groups, adding: “We know there are groups on the south and east of Libya, and these, let’s be realistic, will not be automatically neutralized just because, as we hope, there is a reconciliation in Libya.”

Of course the reconciliation is necessary but if we want Libyan forces to do what is necessary towards these terrorist groups, they need to be united.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

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