Libyan army orders the arrest of any user of firearms

The security forces in Benghazi were ordered today to arrest anyone using firearms in the streets or for events such as weddings or other ceremonies. It follows a statement broadcast on TV yesterday by Major-General Wanis Bukhamada, in his capacity as head of the new central operations room, that anyone breaking the law will be severely dealt with. In his statement he ordered people who had taken over homes belonging to terrorists to leave immediately. So too must those who had taken over state or municipal property. He also warned that anyone illegally arresting, detaining or kidnapping people while claiming to be part of the armed forces or the security services would be punished. As to the municipal guard, the agricultural police and other security agencies in Benghazi, they would be given full backing and they needed to get back to work. Several times in his televised speech has said that criminals in the city would not be tolerated and would be punished. The city was going to improve, he said. His call follows one earlier this month from Field Marshal Khalifa Hafter in which he called on all police in the east of the country to go back to work. Yesterday, prior to the speech, the operations room launched a number of anti-drugs and anti-liquor raids in Benghazi, netting some 35 alleged dealers. Five were said to be Libyan, the rest from sub-Saharan Africa. Also targeted were unmarked vehicles, new construction sites to see if they had planning permission and abandoned buildings to see if they were being used for illicit activities. Meanwhile today, Benghazi acting mayor Abdel Rahman Elabbar had a meeting with military and municipal figures to plan for a major cleanup of the city. On the other hand, Three Misratan security officials were among five dead when they stormed the Khoms’ home of the suspected killer of seven men in what has been described as a family feud. The raid yesterday ended with the arrest of Noor Hadia Baba and fourteen of his supporters. Two others who had shot it out with the arriving Misratans were killed. Baba, who has been linked the Islamist militants, is accused of murdering seven members of a rival family last week after one of his own relatives was killed in a dispute over  plot of land. It is thought that Misratan security forces were executing a warrant for Baba’s arrest issued in the city, when they met violent resistance and had to besiege the building. Less than two years ago Khoms was left without electricity when another family feud led to heavy exchanges of gunfire which knocked out the town’ power station. On political side, Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni told UN special envoy Ghassan Salamé that his government fully backs his Action Plan on Libya during a meeting this morning in Tunis. Gentiloni, who made the stopover while on his way to Angola, stressed that no one should be deterred by the fast approaching date of 17 December when the Skhirat agreement supposedly lapses. He added that progress made so far on reconciliation and agreements on governance and stability must not be jeopardised. Even greater effort had to be made to further reconciliation and build up a Libyan desire to put national interests first. While admitting movement on the action plan remained “fragile”, an evidently confident Gentiloni noted that “the action of UN is shifting the situation in a better context”. “We hope to arrive at elections in 2018 . . . and at the same time ensure a more stable transition and a wider consensus among the parties,” he added. Both he and Salamé agreed that the progress made since the end of 2015 with the Skhirat agreement must not be lost. Dialogue was not easy, stressed the Italian PM but “I don’t think there is any other way forward”. The talks also covered the battle against human traffickers and ways of reducing the flow of migrants through Libya. Libya’s stabilisation would help that, it was agreed. Meanwhile the human rights of migrants and refugees settled in camps had to be protected. Both men agreed that action on the migrant front needed to be accelerated and coordinated. Italy, Gentiloni said, was open to all ideas, adding that the issue of migrants crossing the Mediterranean had to be at the heart of the European political agenda.