Libya wants UN to revoke weapons ban

Libyans will be calling for the lifting of the UN arms embargo at the Libya summit, so that its new presidential guard will be fully armed and equipped.

Kampala - Libyans will be calling for the lifting of the UN arms embargo at the Libya summit in Vienna on Monday so that its new presidential guard will be fully armed and equipped.

Simultaneously, however, Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) will ask for a strict embargo on any sales of weapons to forces outside the GNA.

Several groups in Libya are vying for control of the country, claiming they are the legitimate government, with a minority in parliament refusing to recognise the authority of the GNA.

The Libya Herald reported that a leaked draft of a document calling for the lifting of the arms embargo will be presented at the Summit, which will be jointly chaired by Italy's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

In the six-point document, Libya's Presidential Council (PC) asserts its full control over the country's military.

“The council insists that, under the Libyan Political Agreement, it is the supreme commander of the armed forces,” reported the Herald.

The PC also calls for all Libyan forces to unite under its authority, most particularly in the face of the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups.

The PC added that it wanted to work with the GNA to tackle criminal organisations including those involved in smuggling and human trafficking.

The document further praised the courage of those House of Representatives members who are backing the GNA.

Meanwhile, ahead of Monday's Summit, Libya's Prime Minister-designate Fayez Serraj has accused the international community of abandoning the troubled north African country after toppling former dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

In an article written for the UK's Daily Telegraph, Fayez said that the outside world has responsibilities toward Libya, but insisted that these do not involve putting boots on the ground to defeat IS.

That, he said, would be done by Libyans alone. But the country needed the training and support of the international community. In particular, it required the lifting of the UN arms embargo.

African News Agency