Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella has reiterated that Malta will not be pushed into taking sides in internal Libyan differences which has seen two 'embassies' being set up in Malta.

He called on the internationally recognised Tobruk-based government and the Tripoli based faction to engage in discussion leading to a Libyan transitional government.

Speaking to this newsroom, a spokesperson for the ministry said that setting up a transitional government based on a Constitution that is currently being drafted, will hopefully lead to peace between the two factions.

Libya has been gripped by factional fighting since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. But now, a diplomatic issue has ensued in Malta where one group loyal to the Tripoli faction is stating that it is representative of  a legitimate Libyan government - its representatives in Malta are based in Attard - and the other which supports the internationally recognised Tobruk-based government - the representatives of whom are operating from the Consular Section in Ta' Xbiex.

On 20 December, Dr Vella said in a statement that the way the Maltese government has reacted is completely in line with the United Nations and the European Union positions.

The spokesman told this newsroom that the Maltese government does not intend to interfere in Libya's internal affairs. He said that the Maltese government always considered the Libyan people as one. The Tripoli faction has been very vociferous, but the Tobruk Representation has declined to comment on the issue.

Tripoli challenges Tobruk's legitimacy

In an interview with this newsroom, the Libyan Charge' d'Affaires loyal to Tripoli , Hussain Musrati, has claimed that the Ta' Xbiex consular section, which represents the internationally recognised Tobruk-based government, is operating 'illegally' and has "illegally taken over its BOV bank account".

Mr Musrati told this newsroom that the Libyan minister of foreign affairs has told him that the Central Bank of Libya will stop all bank transfers to the BOV account until the issue is sorted since the opposing group has "illegally" taken over its bank account. He also highlighted that the visa system has been shut down at Ta' Xbiex and visas will start to be issued from Attard, along with the bills of lading, very soon.

Mr Musrati was on the line with who he claimed was the Libyan Foreign Affairs Minister, Mohammed Algirani, during our interview with him.

Musrati invites Maltese government to sit down and discuss

Asked if he is willing to sit down and talk with the Maltese government, Mr Musrati replied in the affirmative.

"We will not let any individual disrupt our relations with Malta," Mr Musrati said.

While thanking the Maltese government for intervening back on 17 February 2011 to help "dispose of a dictator", referring to Muammar Gaddafi, Mr Musrati said that "we would like to invite you (the Maltese government) to sit down and negotiate with us and that you remain neutral all along and not to simply listen to the other side". He said that the Tobruk-based government has no ground control and only represents a portion of Libya opposed to the Tripoli government.

Mr Musrati said that the Tobruk-based government represents around 350,000 square kilometres out of a surface area of over 1,700,000 square kilometres. Besides, he also added that 600,000 Libyans voted for the Tobruk-based government while three times as many voted in favour of the Tripoli government.

Mr Musrati claimed that the opposing group is also trying to pressure the Maltese authorities "to withdraw their diplomatic credentials without following democratic procedures".

He also described Khalifa Hifter as a war criminal, "who uses foreign mercenaries to hit at Libyan people".

Hifter is a Libyan general and the principal commander of one side in the ongoing Libyan civil war.

Mr Musrati said that Hefter is using the excuse that he is fighting terrorism. "One cannot say that terrorism is being combated when bombs are falling on schools and markets which is terrorism in itself."

He said that Malta has to understand that "we have a legitimate government based on a constitutional court ruling".

Besides a copy of the court ruling, Mr Musrati handed a document to this newsroom which shows that the Administrative Control Authority issued directives on 11 November to all and unlimited Libyan government entities, following the judicial verdict issued by the constitutional court of the Supreme Court of the State of Libya, that they must comply with all directives and resolutions issued by the legitimate General National Congress and its Salvation Government of Tripoli as per Articles of the Constitutional Announcement of the State of Libya.

One directive is that all entities and authorities should disregard any directives or resolutions issued by the parliament or its government based in Tobruk and consider any previous resolutions issued by the same as null as per the verdict issued by the constitutional court.

 

Minister condemns recent violence in Libya

In a statement issued this morning, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs condemned the recent spiral of violence in Libya which, regrettably, continues to fuel confrontation and tensions in an already polarised and dangerous situation.

“The Ministry reiterates its strong appeals to all the warring parties in Libya to desist from violent means that inflict more harm to their country and its citizens. As a peace-loving people, all Libyans should unite, participate and contribute towards a negotiated political settlement under the auspices of the United Nations.

 

In this context, the Ministry continues to support the untiring efforts of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General, Bernardino Leon, in bringing the main actors around the negotiating table.  Political dialogue remains the only real and effective tool to the Libyan crisis.”