Libyan negotiations and political directions

5 Jul 2011 19:34 Africa/Lagos


Focus-Libya - Frattini on Libyan negotiations and political directions

ROME, July 5, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Focus-Libya - Frattini on Libyan negotiations and political directions


“The Libyans should be the ones to define negotiations and the political directions of the new Libya, we cannot negotiate in place of the Libyans”, Minister Frattini stated, underscoring that “this flurry of denials and counter-denials gives the idea of an unclear situation”. Frattini explained that “one thing only is clear: that Gaddafi must step down and that there is an international mandate for his arrest; Italy must work toward a political solution without the Colonel, but no one has ever thought of targeting or killing him”.

“Italy's position is well known and extremely clear”, foreign ministry spokesman Maurizio Massari stated in an interview with Al Jazeera, “we recognize the NTC as the only legitimate representative of the Libyan people, and believe that meetings and contacts with the Tripoli regime must be coordinated by the United Nations. This is our position and our hope is obviously for a political solution without Gaddafi”.


Source: Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs



Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time

5 Jul 2011

19:34 Focus-Libya - Frattini on Libyan negotiations and political directions

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13:30 VSI's Night Vision Cueing and Display (NVCD) Makes First Operational Flight

12:52 The AU Chairperson holds important talks in London with UK Ministers and senior representatives

4 Jul 2011

19:23 Decisions adopted during the 17th African Union Summit

18:22 German Federal Minister Westerwelle meets South African Foreign Minister Nkoana-Mashabane

13:04 17th AU Summit / Final session of African Union announces that talks on Libya are near

1 Jul 2011

19:41 17th AU Summit / Opening of AU summit hears of need to heed lessons from North Africa

15:27 FOCUS-LIBIA - Frattini, onwards for a political solution

15:26 Long-Term Psychosocial Problems Affecting Migrants Fleeing Libya Need Addressing

30 Jun 2011

18:59 German Federal Minister Westerwelle meets Chairman of Transitional National Council's Executive Bureau

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Migrants Continue to be Vulnerable in Libyan Conflict

7 Jun 2011 16:46 Africa/Lagos


Migrants Continue to be Vulnerable in Libyan Conflict

GENEVA, June 7, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- IOM Press Briefing Notes


The on-going conflict and political stalemate in Libya has left migrants in a situation of continued vulnerability, with large groups stranded across the country.


During an assessment of the humanitarian needs in various parts of Libya, IOM staff reported on the plight of a large community of mostly African and Filipino migrant workers sheltering in two sites in the capital, Tripoli.


Staff say some of the migrants have been without jobs since the beginning of the crisis as their employers had left the country. Feeling they have nothing to return to, they stay on in Libya in the vain hope that they may receive back pay from their employers or find another job. Others have been left to take care of employers' properties but have not been paid since February.


The majority, from Ghana, Togo, Sudan, Nigeria, Cameroon and other African countries, are unskilled and undocumented workers.


Like the others, they are dependent on whatever food and shelter people of goodwill from within and outside their community can provide with some basic food prices having increased by up to three times since the start of the crisis.


Although the numbers of migrants managing to flee Libya on a daily basis have slowed down in recent weeks, migrants continue to be stranded in towns and cities around the country.


The Malian Ambassador to Tripoli estimates between 8,000-10,000 of his compatriots remain in western Libya, mostly in Sabha, Gadames, Ubari and Murzuk, while the vulnerability of Sub-Saharan Africans in the eastern part of the country has led to Malians there fleeing into Egypt.


Thousands of Egyptian migrants are also believed to be still in the country, according to the Egyptian Ambassador to Tripoli. While most are thought to be in the south in cities such as Gatroun and Sabha, others are in places like Sirt and in need of evacuation.


As these reports emerge, IOM is continuing its efforts to access Gatroun where many Chadians are reported to be stranded. IOM interviews with Chadians who are returning home by truck reveal that many migrants have stayed as long as they could in Libya in the hope of being given months of unpaid wages. Lack of food and water was forcing them to finally leave.


Meanwhile, an eighth IOM mission to evacuate another group of migrants by sea from the port city of Misrata concluded late last week.


The mission, funded by the US State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, rescued 166 migrants, the majority from Sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeriens, Chadians, Ghanaians and Sudanese. The rest comprised Palestinians, Moroccans, Egyptians, Tunisians as well as migrants from Jordan, Britain and Pakistan.


Thirty-six war-wounded casualties were evacuated to Benghazi with the migrants, bringing the number of people rescued from Misrata to about 7,200.


The IOM-chartered ship also delivered hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid and provided the logistics for the deployment of an IOM-led interagency assessment team to Misrata to assess humanitarian needs there after months of fighting.


So far, IOM has provided evacuation assistance to about 31,000 people from inside Libya including the Misrata operations. More than 9,000 migrants including Sub-Saharan Africans have been transported by road from Tripoli to the Tunisian border and nearly 15,000 from Benghazi in the east to the Egyptian border.


Since late February, IOM has helped nearly 144,000 migrants in Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Chad and Niger with evacuation assistance back to their home countries.


As the crisis drags on, the numbers of people fleeing across Libya borders continue to mount steadily. More than 952,000 people have so far crossed into its six neighbouring countries or arrived in Italy and Malta.


Source: International Office of Migration (IOM)

'Celebrate Libya'

30 Aug 2009 13:12 Africa/Lagos

Libya Readies to Take Center Stage

Celebrate Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya, August 30/PRNewswire/ --



- Spectacular Opening Event to Headline a Week-long Series of Celebratory
Events

- Libya's Rich and Ancient History Featuring the Jewels of the African
Union to be Showcased


Preparations are near conclusion for 'Celebrate Libya', one of Africa's biggest ever events, in Tripoli today. The grand celebration will then set in motion a week-long series of festivities for the world to enjoy. Libya appears to be striving not only to outdo any of its earlier Al Fateh revolution anniversaries, but perhaps Any event on the continent as well. The historic celebration designed to mark 40 years of Muammar al-Gaddafi, Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution, also commemorates another significant regional milestone - a decade since Africa's countries came together, under his leadership, to form the African Union.




After months of preparation, the festivities are in their final stages on what is considered to be one of the world's largest stages. Working alongside the Libyan Government, international planners, builders and managers have been flown in to ensure next week's success. The architect behind 'Celebrate Libya,' Philippe Skaff, remarks on his experience throughout the project, "I was an explorer about to embark on a journey of a lifetime with the chance to write the most impressive chapter of the story of my life and this unique challenge has evolved in terms of content to extreme proportions. It is a beautiful thing to control the full event management and the people of Libya made it enjoyable and rewarding from start to finish."


Eight hundred performers, including hundreds of dancers, unique African animal structures, military bands, flame ballet, and laser projections will bring to life 12,000 years of the land's rich history and see the 120 meter-wide screen stage fill with water to recreate the Mediterranean Sea. To top off the grand event a fireworks display will light up the sky, launched from ships off the coast of Tripoli. The show is orchestrated by the French company, Group F, who are credited with some of the most impressive light displays including the Eiffel Tower's Millennium Celebrations and the famed Sydney Harbour New Year's Eve.


More than 300,000 people are expected to gather in Tripoli's Green Park along with hundreds of special guests and dignitaries. Place-cards have already been made for the likes of Berlusconi, foreign ambassadors, leaders of industry and celebrities, along with most, if not all, African heads of state who will already be attending the August 31st Africa Union Summit hosted by Libya.


As for the next seven days, unprecedented events are scheduled to sweep through the country introducing some of Libya's lesser known national treasures to the world. Their itineraries boast castles, floating restaurants, touareg horse performers, hot air balloons, island escapes and a circus. Concerts featuring both international and Arab music are to be set in some of the world's best preserved sites of world heritage while images and lights will be projected on monuments in cities across the country.


Ranked as the second wealthiest country in Africa, after Equatorial Guinea, Libya's GDP reached over US$100bn last year and has remained largely unaffected by the global economic crisis. Along with Nigeria, it is also the continent's largest oil producer with reserves of at least 36bn barrels of high quality oil. In a time when the Gulf's reserves are limited, conflict in West Africa, and Russia's logistically difficult business environment, Libya's largely unexplored hydrocarbon industry appears highly promising.


Libya is seen by many as a long hidden treasure. And to the joy of flocking business executives from New York to Tokyo, the 'Gateway to Africa' has been increasingly liberalizing the role of the private sector. The country has even partnered with the Middle East's leader in alternative energy innovation, the UAE, on an ambitious eco-tourism project in the Jebel Akhdar. Other industries with emerging opportunities include telecommunications, real estate and tourism. Plans for a 500-unit Movenpick Hotel with a yacht club and a JW Marriott Hotel in Tripoli's new central business district are already underway.


Libya's sanctions have for decades impaired access to investors and tourists alike, leaving its five UNESCO World Heritage sites pristine yet unseen. The cave drawings found in the Sahara's Fezzan area, date Libyan civilization back to at least 12,000 B.C. and since, the country has experienced occupation under Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and Byzantines, all leaving behind traces of their conquests. Visitors to Leptis Magna, Sabratha, or Cyrene can marvel at some of the world's most well preserved ruins, explore the Sahara's exotic wilderness or simply enjoy a holiday break on one of the 1,200 miles of unspoiled coastline.


Libya's rich history, culture and its determination to see change happen will be a celebrated by the most historical opening to the world on September 1st, 2009.


For access to full media materials, visit http://www.celebratelibyapress.com. This site will be updated with new materials and images throughout the week's events.



Contact:
- Bushra Hamwi
- Rebecca Farquhar
- Luiza Carter
- Jordana Tasker - +218-917-171294
or celebratelibya@greybeirut.com




Source: Celebrate Libya

Contact: Bushra Hamwi, Rebecca Farquhar, Luiza Carter, Jordana Tasker - +218-917-171294 or celebratelibya@greybeirut.com

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Libyen bereitet sich auf seine grosse Show vor

La Libye s'apprête à prendre le devant de la scène


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