Libya

To build a single plastic tent like Muhammad\u2019s, it costs around 7,000 Libyan dinars (around \u20ac1,344). That\u2019s because many of the components are imported, and the tents require refrigerants to keep the plants and water cool enough to thrive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe refrigerants that have to be added to the hydroponic houses in southern Libya cost a lot of money, since the temperature is so high,\u201d said Green Paradise\u2019s Bisheya.<\/p>\n<p>Al-Qadi, unable to afford a refrigerant, fitted her tent with a grant-funded fan to control its temperature, but said it is limited in impact.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the relatively high cost, the systems are largely dependent on grants from international organisations like the United Nations Development Program, World Food Programme and others.<\/p>\n<p>Steep initial expenses and lack of awareness and education are among the factors which Tawfic says are hindering the spread of hydroponics as a \u201crelatively new technique in the MENA [Middle East and North Africa] region\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>A lack of legislation guiding and regulating this practice also leaves <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//11//24//we-are-represented-by-laptop-farmers-inside-the-un-summit-that-could-have-fixed-the-food-c/">farmers exposed to unprofessional service providers, he adds.<\/p>\n<p>Despite such odds, hydroponics is still gaining popularity in the region.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was published in collaboration with <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.egab.co///">Egab./n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1693568885,"updatedAt":1696924861,"publishedAt":1693674005,"firstPublishedAt":1693571602,"lastPublishedAt":1693914598,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Shefa/u2019a Qudeh","altText":"Mohamed Syam, Palestinian refugee in Jordan, teaches fellow refugees the techniques of hydroponics, enabling them to make a decent living.","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Mohamed Syam, Palestinian refugee in Jordan, teaches fellow refugees the techniques of hydroponics, enabling them to make a decent living.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/86\/34\/12\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f9f1bc1a-6897-5377-9c6b-d87da25f6908-7863412.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Seraj Bisheya","altText":"Since its launch in 2020, Green Paradise has trained over 120 farmers in Libya on hydroponics. ","callToActionText":null,"width":1440,"caption":"Since its launch in 2020, Green Paradise has trained over 120 farmers in Libya on hydroponics. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/86\/34\/12\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_af208565-b66b-56ef-a4bb-83bc0d3a6221-7863412.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Shefa\u2019a Qudeh","altText":"The steep upfront cost of setting up hydroponic tents is one major hindering factor for the spread of this method of farming.","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"The steep upfront cost of setting up hydroponic tents is one major hindering factor for the spread of this method of farming.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/86\/34\/12\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_aacb83d1-086f-5e45-bd95-e94ff6cec94e-7863412.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Seraj Bisheya","altText":"Only 2 per cent of Libyan land gets enough rain to support traditional agriculture, making hydroponic farming an ideal alternative.","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Only 2 per cent of Libyan land gets enough rain to support traditional agriculture, making hydroponic farming an ideal alternative.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/86\/34\/12\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d6b72b8e-db49-5c44-aced-3674f5a52168-7863412.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1200}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"jordan","titleRaw":"Jordan","id":161,"title":"Jordan","slug":"jordan"},{"urlSafeValue":"water-shortage","titleRaw":"Water shortage","id":9513,"title":"Water shortage","slug":"water-shortage"},{"urlSafeValue":"water-resources","titleRaw":"Water resources","id":9509,"title":"Water 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Qudah","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"eco-innovation","urlSafeValue":"eco-innovation","title":"Eco-Innovation","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/eco-innovation\/eco-innovation"},"vertical":"green","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"green","id":8,"title":"Green","slug":"green"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":8,"slug":"green","urlSafeValue":"green","title":"Green"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"eco-innovation","id":"eco-innovation","title":"Eco-Innovation","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/eco-innovation"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":37,"urlSafeValue":"eco-innovation","title":"Eco-Innovation"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":172,"urlSafeValue":"libya","title":"Libya","url":"\/news\/africa\/libya"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe_from_high','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_science','gs_fooddrink','gs_science_geography','gs_busfin','progressivemedia','gs_busfin_indus','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_business_agri','neg_mobkoi_castrol','castrol_negative_uk','neg_pmi','shadow9hu7_pos_pmi','neg_bucherer','gb_sensitive_high_med','gb_sensitive_high_med_low','gb_sensitive_news-ent'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"GREEN_Libya and Jordan: How big a solution is hydroponics in two of the world's driest countries?","path":"\/green\/2023\/09\/02\/libya-and-jordan-how-big-a-solution-is-hydroponics-in-two-of-the-worlds-driest-countries","lastModified":1693914598},{"id":2356618,"cid":7852996,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230828_NWSU_52895645","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Libya\u2019s foreign minister suspended after contact with Israel sparks protests","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Libya suspends foreign minister after Israel contact sparks protests","titleListing2":"Libya\u2019s foreign minister suspended after contact with Israel sparks protests","leadin":"Libya's pro-Palestinian government has launched an inquiry, as both countries dispute the nature of their contact.","summary":"Libya's pro-Palestinian government has launched an inquiry, as both countries dispute the nature of their contact.","keySentence":"","url":"libyas-foreign-minister-suspended-after-contact-with-israel-sparks-protests","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/28\/libyas-foreign-minister-suspended-after-contact-with-israel-sparks-protests","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Libyan foreign minister\u00a0Najla al-Mangoush has been suspended,\u00a0following the announcement of a meeting last week with his Israeli counterpart which provoked demonstrations in Tripoli and other Libyan cities. \n\nAn \"administrative investigation\" by a commission chaired by the Minister of Justice has been launched, according to Libyan Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah's government.\u00a0 \n\nOn Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen revealed he had held \"unprecedented\" talks with his Libyan counterpart in Rome last week. \n\n\"I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential of relations between the two countries,\" Cohen was quoted as saying in a statement from his office. \n\n\"What happened in Rome was a chance and unofficial meeting... which did not involve any discussion, agreement or consultation\", reacted the Libyan Foreign Ministry in a statement. \n\nMangoush reiterated \"in a clear and unambiguous manner Libya's position with regard to the Palestinian cause\", it added, maintaining the minister\u00a0had \"refused to hold talks with any party representing the Israeli entity\" and \"remained categorically firm on this position\". \n\nThe Libyan ministry also denounced the \"exploitation by the Hebrew and international media\" of this \"incident\", which they are trying to present as \"a meeting or talks\". \n\nLibya, which has been plunged into chaos since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. \n\nFollowing Israel's announcement of the meeting, the Libyan Presidential Council (PC), a body with certain executive powers, demanded clarification from the government. \n\nThe Israeli minister said he discussed with Mrs Mangoush \"the importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Judaism by repairing the synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in that country\". \n\nThis is a \"first step in relations between Israel and Libya\", he continued, feeling that \"Libya's size and strategic position offer a huge opportunity for the State of Israel\".\u00a0 \n\nThe meeting took place under the auspices of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, according to the Israeli press release. \n\nMost of Libya's Jewish population left the country in the 20 years following the Second World War, mainly going to Israel. \n\nA few hundred Jews were still living in Libya at the time of Muammar Gaddafi's coup d'\u00e9tat in 1969. He then expelled them, confiscated their property and destroyed their synagogues. \n\nIn recent years, Israel has normalised its relations with certain Arab nations under the Abraham Accords. However, the current policies of Benjamin Netanyahu's government have been criticised by Arab countries. \n\nSpontaneous protests broke out on Sunday in Tripoli and several of the capital's suburbs as a sign of rejection of normalisation with Israel, before spreading to other cities where young people cut off roads, burnt tyres and waved the Palestinian flag. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Libyan foreign minister\u00a0Najla al-Mangoush has been suspended,\u00a0following the announcement of a meeting last week with his Israeli counterpart which provoked demonstrations in Tripoli and other Libyan cities.<\/p>\n<p>An \"administrative investigation\" by a commission chaired by the Minister of Justice has been launched, according to Libyan Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah&#039;s government.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen revealed he had held \"unprecedented\" talks with his Libyan counterpart in Rome last week.<\/p>\n<p>\"I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential of relations between the two countries,\" Cohen was quoted as saying in a statement from his office.<\/p>\n<p>\"What happened in Rome was a chance and unofficial meeting... which did not involve any discussion, agreement or consultation\", reacted the Libyan Foreign Ministry in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Mangoush reiterated \"in a clear and unambiguous manner Libya&#039;s position with regard to the Palestinian cause\", it added, maintaining the minister\u00a0had \"refused to hold talks with any party representing the Israeli entity\" and \"remained categorically firm on this position\".<\/p>\n<p>The Libyan ministry also denounced the \"exploitation by the Hebrew and international media\" of this \"incident\", which they are trying to present as \"a meeting or talks\".<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7852138\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//28//libyans-protest-at-ministers-meeting-with-israeli-counterpart/">Libyans protest at minister's meeting with Israeli counterpart <\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Libya, which has been plunged into chaos since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi&#039;s regime in 2011, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Following Israel&#039;s announcement of the meeting, the Libyan Presidential Council (PC), a body with certain executive powers, demanded clarification from the government.<\/p>\n<p>The Israeli minister said he discussed with Mrs Mangoush \"the importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Judaism by repairing the synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in that country\".<\/p>\n<p>This is a \"first step in relations between Israel and Libya\", he continued, feeling that \"Libya&#039;s size and strategic position offer a huge opportunity for the State of Israel\".\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The meeting took place under the auspices of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, according to the Israeli press release.<\/p>\n<p>Most of Libya&#039;s Jewish population left the country in the 20 years following the Second World War, mainly going to Israel.<\/p>\n<p>A few hundred Jews were still living in Libya at the time of Muammar Gaddafi&#039;s coup d&#039;\u00e9tat in 1969. He then expelled them, confiscated their property and destroyed their synagogues.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, Israel has normalised its relations with certain Arab nations under the Abraham Accords. However, the current policies of Benjamin Netanyahu&#039;s government have been criticised by Arab countries.<\/p>\n<p>Spontaneous protests broke out on Sunday in Tripoli and several of the capital&#039;s suburbs as a sign of rejection of normalisation with Israel, before spreading to other cities where young people cut off roads, burnt tyres and waved the Palestinian flag.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1693225663,"updatedAt":1693229650,"publishedAt":1693228349,"firstPublishedAt":1693228351,"lastPublishedAt":1693229650,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Mahmud TURKIA \/ AFP","altText":"Libyans burn tyres as they protest in Tripoli ","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Libyans burn tyres as they protest in Tripoli ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/29\/96\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_46728436-f552-5371-97d9-4b862d986268-7852996.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Yousef Murad","altText":"People burn photos showing Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush in Tripoli","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"People burn photos showing Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush in 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Libya\u2019s foreign minister suspended after meeting with Israel\u2019s chief diplomat","path":"\/2023\/08\/28\/libyas-foreign-minister-suspended-after-contact-with-israel-sparks-protests","lastModified":1693229650},{"id":2356330,"cid":7852138,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230828_NWSU_52892200","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Libyans protest at minister's meeting with Israeli counterpart ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Libyans protest at minister's meeting with Israeli counterpart ","titleListing2":"Libyans protest at minister's meeting with Israeli counterpart ","leadin":"Crowds of demonstrators across Libya have protested after the country's foreign minister held discussions with her Israeli counterpart","summary":"Crowds of demonstrators across Libya have protested after the country's foreign minister held discussions with her Israeli counterpart","keySentence":"","url":"libyans-protest-at-ministers-meeting-with-israeli-counterpart","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/28\/libyans-protest-at-ministers-meeting-with-israeli-counterpart","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Angry demonstrations took place in the city of Al Zawiya, west of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, Sunday evening, over the meeting of the Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs of the National Unity Government with her Israeli counterpart. \n\nTalks between\u00a0Najla al-Mangoush and Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, took place secretly last week in Rome sparking anger and controversy throughout the country. \n\nLibyan citizens condemned the meeting, which they described as \"normalisation with an enemy.\"\u00a0 \n\nOne of the country's rival prime ministers, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, has suspended al-Mangoush.\u00a0 \n\nThe Libyan foreign ministry described it as a \"chance and unofficial encounter\", but news of the meeting had already led to street protests in several Libyan cities. \n\nAn Israeli statement described the meeting as the first such diplomatic initiative between the two countries. \n\n'Chance encounter' \n\n\"I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential for the two countries from their relations,\" Cohen said. \n\nBut the Libyan foreign ministry said Mangoush had \"refused to meet with any party\" representing Israel. \n\n\"What happened in Rome was a chance and unofficial encounter, during a meeting with his Italian counterpart, which did not involve any discussion, agreement or consultation,\" Libyan officials added.\u00a0 \n\nThe minister said she had reiterated \"in a clear and unambiguous manner Libya's position regarding the Palestinian cause\", the statement said. \n\nBut news of the meeting sparked protests in some Libyan cities.\u00a0Large numbers of residents in Libyan cities, including Tripoli, Misrata, Yefren and Zlitan, protested by setting tires on fire, blocking main roads and burning Israeli flags.\u00a0\u00a0 \n\nIn Israel's foreign ministry statement, Cohen was quoted as saying the two discussed \"the importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Jews, which includes renovating synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country.\" \n\n\"Libya's size and strategic location offer a huge opportunity for the State of Israel,\" he added. \n\nSince the former leader\u00a0Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011 by a NATO-backed uprising, the country has been plunged into more than a decade of chaos and lawlessness. \n\nThe country is split politically with rival administrations - the Tripoli government in the west and another in the east, backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Angry demonstrations took place in the city of Al Zawiya, west of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, Sunday evening, over the meeting of the Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs of the National Unity Government with her Israeli counterpart.<\/p>\n<p>Talks between\u00a0Najla al-Mangoush and Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, took place secretly last week in Rome sparking anger and controversy throughout the country.<\/p>\n<p>Libyan citizens condemned the meeting, which they described as \"normalisation with an enemy.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One of the country&#039;s rival prime ministers, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, has suspended al-Mangoush.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Libyan foreign ministry described it as a \"chance and unofficial encounter\", but news of the meeting had already led to street protests in several Libyan cities.<\/p>\n<p>An Israeli statement described the meeting as the first such diplomatic initiative between the two countries.<\/p>\n<h2>'Chance encounter'<\/h2><p>\"I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential for the two countries from their relations,\" Cohen said.<\/p>\n<p>But the Libyan foreign ministry said Mangoush had \"refused to meet with any party\" representing Israel.<\/p>\n<p>\"What happened in Rome was a chance and unofficial encounter, during a meeting with his Italian counterpart, which did not involve any discussion, agreement or consultation,\" Libyan officials added.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The minister said she had reiterated \"in a clear and unambiguous manner Libya&#039;s position regarding the Palestinian cause\", the statement said.<\/p>\n<p>But news of the meeting sparked protests in some Libyan cities.\u00a0Large numbers of residents in Libyan cities, including Tripoli, Misrata, Yefren and Zlitan, protested by setting tires on fire, blocking main roads and burning Israeli flags.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Israel&#039;s foreign ministry statement, Cohen was quoted as saying the two discussed \"the importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Jews, which includes renovating synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"Libya&#039;s size and strategic location offer a huge opportunity for the State of Israel,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>Since the former leader\u00a0Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011 by a NATO-backed uprising, the country has been plunged into more than a decade of chaos and lawlessness.<\/p>\n<p>The country is split politically with rival administrations - the Tripoli government in the west and another in the east, backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1693210040,"updatedAt":1693217539,"publishedAt":1693213918,"firstPublishedAt":1693213922,"lastPublishedAt":1693213922,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Yousef Murad\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Protests in Libya ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Protests in Libya ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/21\/46\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_78d4aa8c-d6e9-5811-866a-bfd929d822c3-7852146.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":768}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"churm","twitter":"@TheChurm","title":"Philip Andrew Churm"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"power-struggle","titleRaw":"power struggle","id":28410,"title":"power struggle","slug":"power-struggle"},{"urlSafeValue":"bilateral-meetings","titleRaw":"Bilateral meetings","id":7899,"title":"Bilateral meetings","slug":"bilateral-meetings"},{"urlSafeValue":"israeli-politics","titleRaw":"Israeli politics","id":9353,"title":"Israeli 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ISRAEL FM MEETING PROTEST","path":"\/2023\/08\/28\/libyans-protest-at-ministers-meeting-with-israeli-counterpart","lastModified":1693213922},{"id":2252526,"cid":7544242,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230418_WBWB_51292733","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"As its Crown Prince, I want to see a new, democratic Libya and a stronger Europe","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"As its Crown Prince, I want to see a new Libya \u2014 and a stronger Europe","titleListing2":"VIEW | With the country remaining unstable, having suffered through two brutal civil wars, there is no apparent path forward because external actors have not understood that Libyans are the key to lasting peace in their country, Mohammed el-Senussi writes.","leadin":"With the country remaining fractious and unstable, having suffered through two brutal civil wars, there is no apparent path forward because external actors have not understood that Libyans are the key to lasting peace in their country, Mohammed el-Senussi writes.","summary":"With the country remaining fractious and unstable, having suffered through two brutal civil wars, there is no apparent path forward because external actors have not understood that Libyans are the key to lasting peace in their country, Mohammed el-Senussi writes.","keySentence":"","url":"as-its-crown-prince-i-want-to-see-a-new-democratic-libya-and-a-stronger-europe","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/04\/19\/as-its-crown-prince-i-want-to-see-a-new-democratic-libya-and-a-stronger-europe","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"As war rages on in Europe and looms elsewhere, Libya and Libyans are facing yet another choice and another potential cataclysm.\u00a0 \n\nI know my countrymen can prevent another conflict and create a durable system reflective of Libyan history, culture, and values that is authentically and vibrantly democratic.\u00a0 \n\nWithout engagement, however, at every level of Libyan society and the support of international partners, Libya risks losing again its opportunity to join the family of free nations as its people have always craved. \n\n\nUnlike nearly every other state in the Middle East and North Africa, Libya emerged organically as a democracy.\u00a0 \n\nIt is not a primordial nation, stemming from some deep-seated concept of Libyan-ness that stretches back 10 thousand years.\u00a0 Indeed, the concept of Libyan identity does not rest upon such an eternal justification.\u00a0 \n\nRather, Libyans chose to exist.\u00a0 \n\nUnity and democracy are deeply rooted in Libya's history \n\nThey were forged out of North African chaos in the 19th century when Libyans collectively decided to resist the brigandage that defined their territory and reject the slave-trading emirs of the southern Mediterranean coastline.\u00a0 \n\nIn turn, Libyans fought for their identity, their right to be defined as a people with an ambition to live peacefully and prosperously, resisting colonial occupation and Nazism in equal measure. \n\nMy late father, Hasan el-Senussi, Libya\u2019s Crown Prince, is key to this lineage of nationhood, as is our family. Our family history is one of tenacious defence of the Libyan nation.\u00a0 \n\nHis predecessor, the Libyan King Idris, presented Libyans with a choice after World War II. They chose unity, bringing together the region\u2019s three political subdivisions into one kingdom.\u00a0 \n\nAnd they chose \u2014 with the full endorsement and utter personal commitment of their new king, his advisors, and his family\u00a0\u2014 a democratic constitution, one that protected the rights of minorities and guaranteed freedom of conscience.\u00a0 \n\nThey created the structure within which parliamentary democracy and representative government could flourish. \n\nAs a kingdom, Libya was democratic to the core \n\nThis makes Libya unique. Idris did not assent to concessions on his royal prerogative.\u00a0 \n\nIndeed, Idris never considered himself to be a monarch with any sort of fundamental right to power.\u00a0 \n\nHe was the leader of the Senussi order, the Sufi religious order that came to Libya more than a century before and that had earned the trust of Libyans through their honesty, even-handedness, and tenacious defence of their independence from foreign domination.\u00a0 \n\nThe fact that an independent Libya was a kingdom did not contradict its democratic essence. \n\n\nRather, the Libyan monarchy was a fundamental part of Libyan democracy embedded into a constitutional political framework that matched Libyan history, culture, and political will.\u00a0 \n\nIt was the unifying symbol of national identity that made a functioning democracy possible.\u00a0 \n\nLibya\u2019s troubles since the 1969 coup stem from the elimination of this democracy.\u00a0 \n\nYet Libyans still remember their democratic instincts, even though a decade has passed since the 2011 revolution, with the country remaining fractious and unstable, having suffered through two brutal civil wars. \n\nInternational peace initiatives have failed because they ignored Libya's history \n\nThere is no apparent path forward because external actors have not understood that Libyans are the key to lasting peace in their country.\u00a0 \n\nMultiple political initiatives have failed to generate a constructive settlement precisely because they have all ignored Libyan history.\u00a0 \n\nUsing an authentically Libyan consultative mechanism, headed by a Libyan, and employing a ready-made template for the country's stability in the pre-1969 Constitution would be a far more effective approach. \n\nIndeed, all polling and public sentiment indicate the pre-1969 Constitution remains highly popular amongst Libyans, and King Idris continues to be revered as the father of the Libyan nation.\u00a0 \n\nLibya\u2019s democratic constitutional monarchy need not win back popular support; that support already exists. \n\nThe most effective way for the European powers to support the development of a democratic Libya is through the modification of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).\u00a0 \n\nThe Libyan question is also European \n\nThe EU should consider backing a new forum that explicitly includes the pre-1969 Constitution as its objective and has a variety of consultative mechanisms within it for a long-term transition period. \n\nEurope must take the lead internationally, for the Libyan question is indelibly European.\u00a0 Libyan history is bound up with Europe's.\u00a0 \n\nNot only did European imperial and fascist powers hope to conquer Libya.\u00a0 The Libyan people also ultimately stood alongside f ree Europe in its fight against fascism.\u00a0 \n\nHence the establishment of a democratic Libya in 1951 stems, much like the resurrection of the French Republic and the creation of Western Germany, from the victory of democracy over tyranny in Europe. \n\nLibya\u2019s European linkages continued throughout the past century as it became a major energy exporter to the continent. \n\nThe current situation demonstrates the dangers of a hostile or divided Libya. If Libya again suffers under dictatorship, it will inevitably become aligned with the authoritarian revisionist powers that will use the country\u2019s resources as a pawn in their geopolitical games.\u00a0 \n\nEurope can't keep turning a blind eye until North Africa blows up once more \n\nBut more likely, and more dangerous, is another spasm of violence that destroys Libyan hope for the future and provides further space for extremists, sectarians, and private militias alike, sparking yet another refugee crisis as well as a security crisis across the region that sits on the southern shores of Europe. \n\nWar has defined the past year. It will again define this one as the world enters another period of military contestation and ideological rivalry.\u00a0 \n\nEurope must seize the opportunity to ensure North African democratic stability, not ignore the problem until it explodes once again.\u00a0 \n\nStrategic ignorance will not only condemn the people of Libya to further suffering. It will do the same to Europe. \n\nHRH Mohammed el-Senussi is the Crown Prince of Libya and an active commentator on Libyan affairs since the start of the Libyan Civil War. \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n\n","htmlText":"<p>As war rages on in Europe and looms elsewhere, Libya and Libyans are facing yet another choice and another potential cataclysm.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I know my countrymen can prevent another conflict and create a durable system reflective of Libyan history, culture, and values that is authentically and vibrantly democratic.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Without engagement, however, at every level of Libyan society and the support of international partners, Libya risks losing again its opportunity to join the family of free nations as its people have always craved. <\/p>\n<p>Unlike nearly every other state in the Middle East and North Africa, Libya emerged organically as a democracy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It is not a primordial nation, stemming from some deep-seated concept of Libyan-ness that stretches back 10 thousand years.\u00a0Indeed, the concept of Libyan identity does not rest upon such an eternal justification.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Rather, Libyans chose to exist.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Unity and democracy are deeply rooted in Libya's history<\/h2><p>They were forged out of North African chaos in the 19th century when Libyans collectively decided to resist the brigandage that defined their territory and reject the slave-trading emirs of the southern Mediterranean coastline.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In turn, Libyans fought for their identity, their right to be defined as a people with an ambition to live peacefully and prosperously, resisting colonial occupation and Nazism in equal measure.<\/p>\n<p>My late father, Hasan el-Senussi, Libya\u2019s Crown Prince, is key to this lineage of nationhood, as is our family. Our family history is one of tenacious defence of the Libyan nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">They chose ... a democratic constitution, one that protected the rights of minorities and guaranteed freedom of conscience.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//54//42//42//808x539_cmsv2_93be00bc-4eef-5416-8a05-4f276ef6d0fd-7544242.jpg/" alt=\"Francois Mori\/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/384x256_cmsv2_93be00bc-4eef-5416-8a05-4f276ef6d0fd-7544242.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/640x427_cmsv2_93be00bc-4eef-5416-8a05-4f276ef6d0fd-7544242.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/750x500_cmsv2_93be00bc-4eef-5416-8a05-4f276ef6d0fd-7544242.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/828x552_cmsv2_93be00bc-4eef-5416-8a05-4f276ef6d0fd-7544242.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1080x720_cmsv2_93be00bc-4eef-5416-8a05-4f276ef6d0fd-7544242.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1200x800_cmsv2_93be00bc-4eef-5416-8a05-4f276ef6d0fd-7544242.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1920x1281_cmsv2_93be00bc-4eef-5416-8a05-4f276ef6d0fd-7544242.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Libyan fighter shows a graffiti they wrote on a wall in Al Ajaylat, 120 km west of Tripoli, 7 September 2011<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Francois Mori\/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>His predecessor, the Libyan King Idris, presented Libyans with a choice after World War II. They chose unity, bringing together the region\u2019s three political subdivisions into one kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And they chose \u2014 with the full endorsement and utter personal commitment of their new king, his advisors, and his family\u00a0\u2014 a democratic constitution, one that protected the rights of minorities and guaranteed freedom of conscience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They created the structure within which parliamentary democracy and representative government could flourish.<\/p>\n<h2>As a kingdom, Libya was democratic to the core<\/h2><p>This makes Libya unique. Idris did not assent to concessions on his royal prerogative.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, Idris never considered himself to be a monarch with any sort of fundamental right to power.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He was the leader of the Senussi order, the Sufi religious order that came to Libya more than a century before and that had earned the trust of Libyans through their honesty, even-handedness, and tenacious defence of their independence from foreign domination.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.7333984375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//54//42//42//808x594_cmsv2_518cdf88-6372-5143-ab8d-3645d202caac-7544242.jpg/" alt=\"AP\/AP1952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/384x282_cmsv2_518cdf88-6372-5143-ab8d-3645d202caac-7544242.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/640x469_cmsv2_518cdf88-6372-5143-ab8d-3645d202caac-7544242.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/750x550_cmsv2_518cdf88-6372-5143-ab8d-3645d202caac-7544242.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/828x607_cmsv2_518cdf88-6372-5143-ab8d-3645d202caac-7544242.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1080x792_cmsv2_518cdf88-6372-5143-ab8d-3645d202caac-7544242.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1200x880_cmsv2_518cdf88-6372-5143-ab8d-3645d202caac-7544242.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1920x1408_cmsv2_518cdf88-6372-5143-ab8d-3645d202caac-7544242.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">British Royal Navy officers meet Libya&apos;s King Idris at his palace in Benghazi, January 1952<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP\/AP1952<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The fact that an independent Libya was a kingdom did not contradict its democratic essence. <\/p>\n<p>Rather, the Libyan monarchy was a fundamental part of Libyan democracy embedded into a constitutional political framework that matched Libyan history, culture, and political will.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It was the unifying symbol of national identity that made a functioning democracy possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Libya\u2019s troubles since the 1969 coup stem from the elimination of this democracy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yet Libyans still remember their democratic instincts, even though a decade has passed since the 2011 revolution, with the country remaining fractious and unstable, having suffered through two brutal civil wars.<\/p>\n<h2>International peace initiatives have failed because they ignored Libya's history<\/h2><p>There is no apparent path forward because external actors have not understood that Libyans are the key to lasting peace in their country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Multiple political initiatives have failed to generate a constructive settlement precisely because they have all ignored Libyan history.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6738878\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//05//28//un-report-libya-faces-serious-security-threat-from-foreign-fighters-russia-s-wagner/">UN report: Libya faces serious security threat from foreign fighters, Russia's Wagner<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Using an authentically Libyan consultative mechanism, headed by a Libyan, and employing a ready-made template for the country&#039;s stability in the pre-1969 Constitution would be a far more effective approach.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//54//42//42//808x539_cmsv2_508eb546-c487-5192-a8d9-8140b303ac5b-7544242.jpg/" alt=\"Yousef Murad\/Yousef Murad\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/384x256_cmsv2_508eb546-c487-5192-a8d9-8140b303ac5b-7544242.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/640x427_cmsv2_508eb546-c487-5192-a8d9-8140b303ac5b-7544242.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/750x500_cmsv2_508eb546-c487-5192-a8d9-8140b303ac5b-7544242.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/828x552_cmsv2_508eb546-c487-5192-a8d9-8140b303ac5b-7544242.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1080x720_cmsv2_508eb546-c487-5192-a8d9-8140b303ac5b-7544242.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1200x800_cmsv2_508eb546-c487-5192-a8d9-8140b303ac5b-7544242.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1920x1281_cmsv2_508eb546-c487-5192-a8d9-8140b303ac5b-7544242.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A demonstrator holds a banner during a protest calling for militants of the two governments to leave their area and to avoid war, in Tripoli, July 2022<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Yousef Murad\/Yousef Murad<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Indeed, all polling and public sentiment indicate the pre-1969 Constitution remains highly popular amongst Libyans, and King Idris continues to be revered as the father of the Libyan nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Libya\u2019s democratic constitutional monarchy need not win back popular support; that support already exists.<\/p>\n<p>The most effective way for the European powers to support the development of a democratic Libya is through the modification of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The Libyan question is also European<\/h2><p>The EU should consider backing a new forum that explicitly includes the pre-1969 Constitution as its objective and has a variety of consultative mechanisms within it for a long-term transition period.<\/p>\n<p>Europe must take the lead internationally, for the Libyan question is indelibly European.\u00a0Libyan history is bound up with Europe&#039;s.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Not only did European imperial and fascist powers hope to conquer Libya.\u00a0The Libyan people also ultimately stood alongside free Europe in its fight against fascism.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">If Libya again suffers under dictatorship, it will inevitably become aligned with the authoritarian revisionist powers that will use the country\u2019s resources as a pawn in their geopolitical games.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.791015625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//54//42//42//808x641_cmsv2_7eb99fbf-8a30-558e-92f2-19db4a540809-7544242.jpg/" alt=\"AP\/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/384x304_cmsv2_7eb99fbf-8a30-558e-92f2-19db4a540809-7544242.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/640x506_cmsv2_7eb99fbf-8a30-558e-92f2-19db4a540809-7544242.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/750x593_cmsv2_7eb99fbf-8a30-558e-92f2-19db4a540809-7544242.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/828x655_cmsv2_7eb99fbf-8a30-558e-92f2-19db4a540809-7544242.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1080x854_cmsv2_7eb99fbf-8a30-558e-92f2-19db4a540809-7544242.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1200x949_cmsv2_7eb99fbf-8a30-558e-92f2-19db4a540809-7544242.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1920x1519_cmsv2_7eb99fbf-8a30-558e-92f2-19db4a540809-7544242.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Members of a British tank crew dig into their Christmas pudding during a rest in the drive on Bardia, 5 January 1941<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP\/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Hence the establishment of a democratic Libya in 1951 stems, much like the resurrection of the French Republic and the creation of Western Germany, from the victory of democracy over tyranny in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Libya\u2019s European linkages continued throughout the past century as it became a major energy exporter to the continent.<\/p>\n<p>The current situation demonstrates the dangers of a hostile or divided Libya. If Libya again suffers under dictatorship, it will inevitably become aligned with the authoritarian revisionist powers that will use the country\u2019s resources as a pawn in their geopolitical games.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Europe can't keep turning a blind eye until North Africa blows up once more<\/h2><p>But more likely, and more dangerous, is another spasm of violence that destroys Libyan hope for the future and provides further space for extremists, sectarians, and private militias alike, sparking yet another refugee crisis as well as a security crisis across the region that sits on the southern shores of Europe.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7493030\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//03//28//eu-rejects-un-accusation-it-aided-and-abetted-crimes-against-migrants-in-libya/">EU rejects UN accusation it 'aided and abetted' crimes against migrants in Libya<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>War has defined the past year. It will again define this one as the world enters another period of military contestation and ideological rivalry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//54//42//42//808x539_cmsv2_59c4428e-95be-5369-ba65-c7b08b13aef3-7544242.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Manu Brabo\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/384x256_cmsv2_59c4428e-95be-5369-ba65-c7b08b13aef3-7544242.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/640x427_cmsv2_59c4428e-95be-5369-ba65-c7b08b13aef3-7544242.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/750x500_cmsv2_59c4428e-95be-5369-ba65-c7b08b13aef3-7544242.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/828x552_cmsv2_59c4428e-95be-5369-ba65-c7b08b13aef3-7544242.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1080x720_cmsv2_59c4428e-95be-5369-ba65-c7b08b13aef3-7544242.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1200x800_cmsv2_59c4428e-95be-5369-ba65-c7b08b13aef3-7544242.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/1920x1281_cmsv2_59c4428e-95be-5369-ba65-c7b08b13aef3-7544242.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A sniper from Misrata fires towards the so-called Islamic State militant positions in Sirte, Libya, September 2016<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Manu Brabo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Europe must seize the opportunity to ensure North African democratic stability, not ignore the problem until it explodes once again.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Strategic ignorance will not only condemn the people of Libya to further suffering. It will do the same to Europe.<\/p>\n<p><em>HRH Mohammed el-Senussi is the Crown Prince of Libya and an active commentator on Libyan affairs since the start of the Libyan Civil War.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>_At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<br>_<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1681850890,"updatedAt":1681889805,"publishedAt":1681889744,"firstPublishedAt":1681858084,"lastPublishedAt":1681889805,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","altText":"People celebrate the capture in Tripoli of Moammar Gadhafi's son and one-time heir apparent, Seif al-Islam, at the rebel-held town of Benghazi, 22 August 2011","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"People celebrate the capture in Tripoli of Moammar Gadhafi's son and one-time heir apparent, Seif al-Islam, at the rebel-held town of Benghazi, 22 August 2011","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_19bb27a6-c8e3-5588-84fc-67d1076e1b2c-7544242.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Francois Mori\/AP","altText":"Libyan fighter shows a graffiti they wrote on a wall in Al Ajaylat, 120 km west of Tripoli, 7 September 2011","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Libyan fighter shows a graffiti they wrote on a wall in Al Ajaylat, 120 km west of Tripoli, 7 September 2011","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_93be00bc-4eef-5416-8a05-4f276ef6d0fd-7544242.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/AP","altText":"Members of a British tank crew dig into their Christmas pudding during a rest in the drive on Bardia, 5 January 1941","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Members of a British tank crew dig into their Christmas pudding during a rest in the drive on Bardia, 5 January 1941","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7eb99fbf-8a30-558e-92f2-19db4a540809-7544242.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":810},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Manu Brabo","altText":"A sniper from Misrata fires towards the so-called Islamic State militant positions in Sirte, Libya, September 2016","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A sniper from Misrata fires towards the so-called Islamic State militant positions in Sirte, Libya, September 2016","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_59c4428e-95be-5369-ba65-c7b08b13aef3-7544242.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/AP1952","altText":"British Royal Navy officers meet Libya's King Idris at his palace in Benghazi, January 1952","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"British Royal Navy officers meet Libya's King Idris at his palace in Benghazi, January 1952","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_518cdf88-6372-5143-ab8d-3645d202caac-7544242.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":751},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Yousef Murad\/Yousef Murad","altText":"A demonstrator holds a banner during a protest calling for militants of the two governments to leave their area and to avoid war, in Tripoli, July 2022","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A demonstrator holds a banner during a protest calling for militants of the two governments to leave their area and to avoid war, in Tripoli, July 2022","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/54\/42\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_508eb546-c487-5192-a8d9-8140b303ac5b-7544242.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"civil-war-in-libya","titleRaw":"civil war in Libya","id":22368,"title":"civil war in Libya","slug":"civil-war-in-libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"libya","titleRaw":"Libya","id":172,"title":"Libya","slug":"libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"libyan-war","titleRaw":"Libyan war","id":10515,"title":"Libyan war","slug":"libyan-war"},{"urlSafeValue":"royal-family","titleRaw":"royal family","id":18938,"title":"royal family","slug":"royal-family"},{"urlSafeValue":"euroviews","titleRaw":"Euroviews","id":22480,"title":"Euroviews","slug":"euroviews"}],"widgets":[{"count":5,"slug":"image"},{"count":2,"slug":"quotation"},{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Mohammed el-Senussi, Crown Prince of Libya","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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LIBYA CROWN PRINCE","path":"\/2023\/04\/19\/as-its-crown-prince-i-want-to-see-a-new-democratic-libya-and-a-stronger-europe","lastModified":1681889805},{"id":2233522,"cid":7488872,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230326_NWSU_50978287","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Shots reportedly fired at rescue ship in Mediterranean","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":null,"titleListing2":"Shots reportedly fired at rescue ship in Mediterranean","leadin":"The Ocean Viking was responding to a distress call to help a rubber boat carrying migrants off the Libyan coast.","summary":"The Ocean Viking was responding to a distress call to help a rubber boat carrying migrants off the Libyan coast.","keySentence":"","url":"shots-fired-at-humanitarian-rescue-ship-in-mediterranean","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/26\/shots-fired-at-humanitarian-rescue-ship-in-mediterranean","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Shots were reportedly fired at a humanitarian vessel as it tried to rescue a boat carrying migrants in the Mediterranean on Saturday.\u00a0 \n\nThe Libyan coastguard, trained and financed by the European Union, intercepted the Ocean Viking as it responded to a distress call from a rubber boat carrying some 80 people. \n\nThey approached \"dangerously\" and threatened the crew by \"firing gunshots in the air,\" claimed SOS Mediterranee, which charters and runs the rescue vessel, forcing it to back off.\u00a0 \n\n\u201cYou can\u2019t shoot at us. You can\u2019t shoot at us. We\u2019re leaving the waters now,\u201d a person on the Ocean Viking is heard saying in video footage of the incident.\u00a0 \n\nThe coastguard has not yet responded to a comment request.\u00a0 \n\nAll of the migrants on board were taken back to Libyan soil.\u00a0 \n\nYesterday's incident is the latest in a string of increasingly hostile moves by the Libyan coastguard as it tries to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.\u00a0 \n\nIn January, it prevented an SOS Mediterranee boat from returning after a rescue operation.\u00a0Last year, it threatened to shoot down a monitoring plane owned by the German NGO Sea-Watch.\u00a0 \n\nLibya has in recent years emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants and refugees escaping war, persecution or seeking a better life in Europe.\u00a0 \n\nThe oil-rich country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. \n\nHuman traffickers have benefited from this chaos, smuggling in migrants across the country's lengthy borders, though some observers point out that if there were more safe and legal routes to enter Europe their business model would not exist.\u00a0 \n\nCrossing the Mediterranean is the most dangerous migration route in the world, according to the International Organisation for Migration. \n\nMore than 26,000 people have either died or gone missing in the sea since 2014, with migrants crammed into rickety rafts that sometimes set off in rough seas. \n\nAccording to figures from the Italian government, migrant arrivals have tripled in the first three months of 2023. \n\nSo far this year, more than 20,000 landed on Italy's shores. Some 6,500 people arrived in Italy during the same period in 2022.\u00a0 \n\nThe Louise Michel rescue ship, financed by the British street artist Banksy, was detained on Friday in waters off the Italian island of Lampedusa after it rescued 180 people in three separate operations.\u00a0 \n\n\u201cWe still do not have an official written justification for the detention,\" it tweeted on Sunday. \"We know of dozens of boats in distress right in front of the island at this very moment, yet we are being prevented from assisting. This is unacceptable.\" \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Shots were reportedly fired at a humanitarian vessel as it tried to rescue a boat carrying migrants in the Mediterranean on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Libyan coastguard, trained and financed by the European Union, intercepted the Ocean Viking as it responded to a distress call from a rubber boat carrying some 80 people.<\/p>\n<p>They approached \"dangerously\" and threatened the crew by \"firing gunshots in the air,\" claimed SOS Mediterranee, which charters and runs the rescue vessel, forcing it to back off.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t shoot at us. You can\u2019t shoot at us. We\u2019re leaving the waters now,\u201d a person on the Ocean Viking is heard saying in video footage of the incident.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The coastguard has not yet responded to a comment request.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>All of the migrants on board were taken back to Libyan soil.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday&#039;s incident is the latest in a string of increasingly hostile moves by the Libyan coastguard as it tries to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In January, it prevented an SOS Mediterranee boat from returning after a rescue operation.\u00a0Last year, it threatened to shoot down a monitoring plane owned by the German NGO Sea-Watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Libya has in recent years emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants and refugees escaping war, persecution or seeking a better life in Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7487940\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//26//record-breaking-number-of-migrants-reach-italy-in-48-hours/">Record-breaking number of migrants reach Italy in 48 hours<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The oil-rich country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.<\/p>\n<p>Human traffickers have benefited from this chaos, smuggling in migrants across the country&#039;s lengthy borders, though some observers point out that if there were more safe and legal routes to enter Europe their business model would not exist.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Crossing the Mediterranean is the most dangerous migration route in the world, according to the International Organisation for Migration.<\/p>\n<p>More than 26,000 people have either died or gone missing in the sea since 2014, with migrants crammed into rickety rafts that sometimes set off in rough seas.<\/p>\n<p>According to figures from the Italian government, migrant arrivals have tripled in the first three months of 2023.<\/p>\n<p>So far this year, more than 20,000 landed on Italy&#039;s shores. Some 6,500 people arrived in Italy during the same period in 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Louise Michel rescue ship, financed by the British street artist Banksy, was detained on Friday in waters off the Italian island of Lampedusa after it rescued 180 people in three separate operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe still do not have an official written justification for the detention,\" it tweeted on Sunday. \"We know of dozens of boats in distress right in front of the island at this very moment, yet we are being prevented from assisting. This is unacceptable.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1679842086,"updatedAt":1679845640,"publishedAt":1679845563,"firstPublishedAt":1679845568,"lastPublishedAt":1679845640,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Jeremias Gonzalez\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved","altText":"Migrants in a wooden boat as they are being rescued, Aug. 27, 2022.","callToActionText":null,"width":895,"caption":"Migrants in a wooden boat as they are being rescued, Aug. 27, 2022.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/48\/88\/72\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_22005ad9-d9bf-5095-9277-95e330dabc22-7488872.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":493},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Jeremias Gonzalez\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved","altText":"Migrants in a wooden boat as they are being rescued, Aug. 27, 2022.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Migrants in a wooden boat as they are being rescued, Aug. 27, 2022.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/48\/88\/72\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_3dad5e7d-f5cb-5cae-b8f9-c7bcdfb9ab59-7488872.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"libya","titleRaw":"Libya","id":172,"title":"Libya","slug":"libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"migrants","titleRaw":"Migrants","id":13190,"title":"Migrants","slug":"migrants"},{"urlSafeValue":"search-and-rescue","titleRaw":"Search and rescue","id":15600,"title":"Search and rescue","slug":"search-and-rescue"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":172,"urlSafeValue":"libya","title":"Libya","url":"\/news\/africa\/libya"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_sensitive_serious','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','neg_facebook_2021','gv_death_injury','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_science','neg_facebook_q4','neg_citi_campaign','gv_crime','gb_crime_edu','gs_science_geography','gb_crime_news-ent','gt_negative','gs_society','gs_travel_cruise','gs_travel_type_cruises','gs_travel','gs_travel_type','gv_arms','gb_arms_serious','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gs_society_charity'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"web - shots fired at rescue ship","path":"\/2023\/03\/26\/shots-fired-at-humanitarian-rescue-ship-in-mediterranean","lastModified":1679845640},{"id":2187564,"cid":7351380,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230128_NWSU_50176007","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Giorgia Meloni visits Tripoli as Libya signs $8bn gas exploration deal with Eni","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Italy's Giorgia Meloni visits Tripoli as $8bn gas deal is signed","titleListing2":"Giorgia Meloni visits Tripoli as Libya signs $8bn gas exploration deal with Eni","leadin":"Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni extended a hand of friendship to Tripoli while also helping to secure her country's energy security. Italian energy giant signed an $8bn gas exploration contract with Libya's state energy company during the visit.","summary":"Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni extended a hand of friendship to Tripoli while also helping to secure her country's energy security. Italian energy giant signed an $8bn gas exploration contract with Libya's state energy company during the visit.","keySentence":"","url":"giorgia-meloni-visits-tripoli-as-libya-signs-8bn-gas-exploration-deal-with-eni","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/01\/28\/giorgia-meloni-visits-tripoli-as-libya-signs-8bn-gas-exploration-deal-with-eni","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Italy\u2019s prime minister held talks in Libya on Saturday with officials from the country\u2019s Tripoli-based government focusing on energy and migration, top issues for Italy and the European Union. \n\n During the visit, the two countries' oil companies signed a gas deal worth $8 billion \n\n(\u20ac7.36bn), the largest single investment in Libya\u2019s energy sector in more than two decades. \n\nLibya is the second North African country that Premier Giorgia Meloni, three months in office, visited this week. She is seeking to secure new supplies of natural gas to replace Russian energy amid Moscow's war on Ukraine. She previously visited Algeria, which has become Italy\u2019s number one energy supplier since Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. \n\nMeloni landed at the Mitiga airport, the only functioning airport in Libya\u2019s capital, Tripoli, amid tight security, accompanied by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, her office said. She met with Abdel Hamid Dbeibah, who heads one of Libya\u2019s rival administrations, and held talks with Mohamed Younis Menfi, who chairs Libya\u2019s ceremonial presidential council. \n\nAt a round-table with Dbeibah, Meloni repeated her remarks from Algeria, saying that while Italy wants to increase its profile in the region, it doesn\u2019t seek a \u201cpredatory\u201d role but wants to help African nations \u201cgrow and become richer.\u201d \n\n$8bn deal to develop Libya's offshore gas \n\nDuring the visit, Claudio Descalzi, the CEO of Italy\u2019s state-run energy company, ENI, signed an $8 billion deal with Libya\u2019s National Oil Corporation to develop two Libyan offshore gas fields. NOC's chairman Farhat Bengdara also signed. \n\nThe agreement involves developing two offshore fields in Block NC-41, north of Libya and ENI said they would start pumping gas in 2026, and estimated to reach 750 million cubic feet per day, the Italian firm said in a statement. \n\nMeloni, who attended the signing ceremony, called the deal \u201csignificant and historic\u201d and said it will help Europe securing energy sources. \n\n\u201cLibya is clearly for us a strategic economic partner,\u201dMeloni said. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Italy\u2019s prime minister held talks in Libya on Saturday with officials from the country\u2019s Tripoli-based government focusing on energy and migration, top issues for Italy and the European Union.<\/p>\n<p>During the visit, the two countries&#039; oil companies signed a gas deal worth $8 billion<\/p>\n<p>(\u20ac7.36bn), the largest single investment in Libya\u2019s energy sector in more than two decades.<\/p>\n<p>Libya is the second North African country that Premier Giorgia Meloni, three months in office, visited this week. She is seeking to secure new supplies of natural gas to replace Russian energy amid Moscow&#039;s war on Ukraine. She previously visited Algeria, which has become Italy\u2019s number one energy supplier since Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Meloni landed at the Mitiga airport, the only functioning airport in Libya\u2019s capital, Tripoli, amid tight security, accompanied by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, her office said. She met with Abdel Hamid Dbeibah, who heads one of Libya\u2019s rival administrations, and held talks with Mohamed Younis Menfi, who chairs Libya\u2019s ceremonial presidential council.<\/p>\n<p>At a round-table with Dbeibah, Meloni repeated her remarks from Algeria, saying that while Italy wants to increase its profile in the region, it doesn\u2019t seek a \u201cpredatory\u201d role but wants to help African nations \u201cgrow and become richer.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>$8bn deal to develop Libya's offshore gas<\/h2><p>During the visit, Claudio Descalzi, the CEO of Italy\u2019s state-run energy company, ENI, signed an $8 billion deal with Libya\u2019s National Oil Corporation to develop two Libyan offshore gas fields. NOC&#039;s chairman Farhat Bengdara also signed.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement involves developing two offshore fields in Block NC-41, north of Libya and ENI said they would start pumping gas in 2026, and estimated to reach 750 million cubic feet per day, the Italian firm said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Meloni, who attended the signing ceremony, called the deal \u201csignificant and historic\u201d and said it will help Europe securing energy sources.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLibya is clearly for us a strategic economic partner,\u201dMeloni said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1674924225,"updatedAt":1674936543,"publishedAt":1674935145,"firstPublishedAt":1674935150,"lastPublishedAt":1674935150,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Yousef Murad\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Giorgia Meloni in the Libyan capital Tripoli ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Giorgia Meloni in the Libyan capital Tripoli ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/35\/11\/48\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5e9271ad-046b-5018-8989-c7231348d116-7351148.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"libya","titleRaw":"Libya","id":172,"title":"Libya","slug":"libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"italy","titleRaw":"Italy","id":158,"title":"Italy","slug":"italy"},{"urlSafeValue":"giorgia-meloni","titleRaw":"Giorgia Meloni","id":27076,"title":"Giorgia Meloni","slug":"giorgia-meloni"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2107174},{"id":2223290},{"id":2356618}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"Ut0my5QbhtM","dailymotionId":"x8hnndb"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":35000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":4500325,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/01\/28\/en\/230128_NWSU_50176007_50176059_35000_210052_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":35000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":6931813,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/01\/28\/en\/230128_NWSU_50176007_50176059_35000_210052_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":172,"urlSafeValue":"libya","title":"Libya","url":"\/news\/africa\/libya"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_tech','gs_tech_cameras','gs_tech_consumer','gs_tech_consumer_camera','gs_travel_locations_europe','gs_travel','gs_travel_locations'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"LIBYA ITALY PMS MEETING","path":"\/2023\/01\/28\/giorgia-meloni-visits-tripoli-as-libya-signs-8bn-gas-exploration-deal-with-eni","lastModified":1674935150},{"id":2152382,"cid":7256690,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221218_NWSU_49591919","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Lockerbie bomb suspect 'held by Libyan militia' before US handover","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Lockerbie bomb suspect 'held by Libyan militia' before US handover","titleListing2":"Lockerbie bomb suspect 'held by Libyan militia' before US handover","leadin":"Lockerbie bomb suspect 'held by Libyan militia' before US handover","summary":"Lockerbie bomb suspect 'held by Libyan militia' before US handover","keySentence":"","url":"lockerbie-bomb-suspect-held-by-libyan-militia-before-us-handover","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/12\/18\/lockerbie-bomb-suspect-held-by-libyan-militia-before-us-handover","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A Libyan man now in US custody and charged for his alleged role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland, was held by Libyan militias for several weeks.\u00a0 \n\nNow questions are being asked about how he ended up in US custody, and what -- if any -- legal procedures were followed to allow his extradition to America. \n\nAround midnight in mid-November, Libyan militiamen in two Toyota pickup trucks arrived at a residential building in a neighborhood of the capital of Tripoli. They stormed the house, bringing out a blindfolded man in his 70s. \n\nTheir target was former Libyan intelligence agent Abu Agila Mohammad Mas\u2019ud Kheir Al-Marimi, wanted by the United States for allegedly making the bomb that brought down New York-bound Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, just days before Christmas in 1988. The attack killed 259 people in the air and 11 on the ground. \n\nWeeks after that night raid in Tripoli, the US announced Mas'ud was in its custody, to the surprise of many in Libya, which has been split between two rival governments, each backed by an array of militias and foreign powers. \n\nAnalysts said the Tripoli-based government responsible for handing over Mas'ud was likely seeking US goodwill and favor amid the power struggles in Libya. \n\nFour Libyan security and government officials with direct knowledge of the operation recounted the journey that ended with Mas'ud in Washington. \n\nThe officials said it started with him being taken from his home in the Abu Salim neighborhood of Tripoli. He was transferred to the coastal city of Misrata and eventually handed over to American agents who flew him out of the country, they said. \n\nThe officials spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Several said the United States had been exerting pressure for months to see Mas'ud handed over. \n\n\u201cEvery time they communicated, Abu Agila was on the agenda,\u201d one official said. \n\nIn Libya, many questioned the legality of how he was picked up, just months after his release from a Libyan prison, and sent to the US. Libya and the US don\u2019t have a standing agreement on extradition, so there was no obligation to hand Mas\u2019ud over. \n\nThe White House and Justice Department declined to comment on the new details about Mas\u2019ud\u2019s handover. US officials have said privately that in their view, it played out as a by-the-book extradition through an ordinary court process. \n\nA State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with briefing regulations, said Saturday that Mas\u2019ud\u2019s transfer was lawful and described it as a culmination of years of cooperation with Libyan authorities. \n\nSuspect's family complained to Libyan authorities \n\nLibya's chief prosecutor has opened an investigation following a complaint from Mas'ud's family. But for nearly a week after the US announcement, the Tripoli government was silent, while rumors swirled for weeks that Mas'ud had been abducted and sold by militiamen. \n\nAfter public outcry in Libya, the country's Tripoli-based prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, acknowledged on Thursday that his government had handed Mas\u2019ud over. In the same speech, he also said that Interpol had issued a warrant for Mas'ud's arrest. A spokesman for Dbeibah's government did not answer calls and messages seeking additional comment. \n\nOn 12 December, the US Department of Justice said it had requested that Interpol issue a warrant for him. \n\nAfter the fall and killing of longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in a 2011 uprising-turned-civil war, Mas'ud, an explosives expert for Libya\u2019s intelligence service, was detained by a militia in western Libya. He served 10 years in prison in Tripoli for crimes related to his position during Gadhafi\u2019s rule. \n\nHe was released in June after completing his sentence. After his release, he was under permanent surveillance and barely left his family home, a military official said. \n\nThe neighborhood is controlled by the Stabilization Support Authority, an umbrella of militias led by warlord Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, a close ally of Dbeibah. Al-Kikli has been accused by Amnesty International of involvement in war crimes and other serious rights violations over the past decade. \n\nMore than a decade after the death of Gadhafi, Libya remains chaotic and lawless, with militias still holding sway over large territories. The country's security forces are weak, compared to local militias, with which the Dbeibah government is allied to varying degrees.\u00a0 \n\nRaid to capture Mas'ud \n\nThen came the raid in mid-November, which was described by the officials. \n\nMilitiamen rushed into Mas'ud's bedroom and seized him, transporting him blindfolded to a detention center run by the SSA in Tripoli. He was there for two weeks before he was given to another militia in Misrata, known as the Joint Force, which reports directly to Dbeibah. It's a new paramilitary unit established as part of a network of militias that support him. \n\nIn Misrata, Mas'ud was interrogated by Libyan officers in the presence of US intelligence officers, said a Libyan official briefed on the interrogation. Mas'ud declined to answer questions about his alleged role in the Lockerbie attack, including the contents of an interview that the US says he gave to Libyan authorities in 2012 during which he admitted to being the bomb-maker. He insisted his detention and extradition are illegal, the official said. \n\nIn 2017, US officials received a copy of the 2012 interview in which they said Mas'ud admitted building the bomb and working with two other conspirators to carry out the attack on the Pan Am plane. According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, Mas'ud said that the operation was ordered by Libyan intelligence and that Gadhafi thanked him and other members of the team afterwards. \n\nSome have questioned the legality of Mas'ud's handover, given the role of informal armed groups and a lack of official extradition procedures. \n\nHarchaoui, the analyst, said Mas'ud's extradition signals the US is condoning what he portrayed as lawless behavior. \n\n\u201cWhat the foreign states are doing is that they are saying we don\u2019t care how the sausage is made,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are getting things that we like.\" \n\n","htmlText":"<p>A Libyan man now in US custody and charged for his alleged role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland, was held by Libyan militias for several weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Now questions are being asked about how he ended up in US custody, and what -- if any -- legal procedures were followed to allow his extradition to America.<\/p>\n<p>Around midnight in mid-November, Libyan militiamen in two Toyota pickup trucks arrived at a residential building in a neighborhood of the capital of Tripoli. They stormed the house, bringing out a blindfolded man in his 70s.<\/p>\n<p>Their target was former Libyan intelligence agent Abu Agila Mohammad Mas\u2019ud Kheir Al-Marimi, wanted by the United States for allegedly making the bomb that brought down New York-bound Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, just days before Christmas in 1988. The attack killed 259 people in the air and 11 on the ground.<\/p>\n<p>Weeks after that night raid in Tripoli, the US announced Mas&#039;ud was in its custody, to the surprise of many in Libya, which has been split between two rival governments, each backed by an array of militias and foreign powers.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts said the Tripoli-based government responsible for handing over Mas&#039;ud was likely seeking US goodwill and favor amid the power struggles in Libya.<\/p>\n<p>Four Libyan security and government officials with direct knowledge of the operation recounted the journey that ended with Mas&#039;ud in Washington.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"3528486,3527646,2581646\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2018//12//21//thirty-years-of-sorrowful-ceremonies-for-lockerbie/">Thirty years of sorrowful ceremonies for Lockerbie<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2015//10//16//lockerbie-families-welcome-identification-of-new-libyan-suspects/">Lockerbie families welcome identification of new Libyan suspects<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2018//12//21//lockerbie-bombing-what-really-brought-it-home-was-when-you-were-picking-up-toys/">Lockerbie bombing: 'What really brought it home was when you were picking up toys'<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The officials said it started with him being taken from his home in the Abu Salim neighborhood of Tripoli. He was transferred to the coastal city of Misrata and eventually handed over to American agents who flew him out of the country, they said.<\/p>\n<p>The officials spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Several said the United States had been exerting pressure for months to see Mas&#039;ud handed over.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery time they communicated, Abu Agila was on the agenda,\u201d one official said.<\/p>\n<p>In Libya, many questioned the legality of how he was picked up, just months after his release from a Libyan prison, and sent to the US. Libya and the US don\u2019t have a standing agreement on extradition, so there was no obligation to hand Mas\u2019ud over.<\/p>\n<p>The White House and Justice Department declined to comment on the new details about Mas\u2019ud\u2019s handover. US officials have said privately that in their view, it played out as a by-the-book extradition through an ordinary court process.<\/p>\n<p>A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with briefing regulations, said Saturday that Mas\u2019ud\u2019s transfer was lawful and described it as a culmination of years of cooperation with Libyan authorities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6591796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//25//66//90//808x532_cmsv2_4ec29290-5a22-535d-a31e-c1c10558b621-7256690.jpg/" alt=\"AP\/AP1988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/384x253_cmsv2_4ec29290-5a22-535d-a31e-c1c10558b621-7256690.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/640x422_cmsv2_4ec29290-5a22-535d-a31e-c1c10558b621-7256690.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/750x494_cmsv2_4ec29290-5a22-535d-a31e-c1c10558b621-7256690.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/828x546_cmsv2_4ec29290-5a22-535d-a31e-c1c10558b621-7256690.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/1080x712_cmsv2_4ec29290-5a22-535d-a31e-c1c10558b621-7256690.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/1200x791_cmsv2_4ec29290-5a22-535d-a31e-c1c10558b621-7256690.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/1920x1266_cmsv2_4ec29290-5a22-535d-a31e-c1c10558b621-7256690.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">FILE: Area where Pan Am flight 103 came down in Lockerbie, Scotland shown Dec. 26, 1988.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP\/AP1988<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Suspect's family complained to Libyan authorities<\/h2><p>Libya&#039;s chief prosecutor has opened an investigation following a complaint from Mas&#039;ud&#039;s family. But for nearly a week after the US announcement, the Tripoli government was silent, while rumors swirled for weeks that Mas&#039;ud had been abducted and sold by militiamen.<\/p>\n<p>After public outcry in Libya, the country&#039;s Tripoli-based prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, acknowledged on Thursday that his government had handed Mas\u2019ud over. In the same speech, he also said that Interpol had issued a warrant for Mas&#039;ud&#039;s arrest. A spokesman for Dbeibah&#039;s government did not answer calls and messages seeking additional comment.<\/p>\n<p>On 12 December, the US Department of Justice said it had requested that Interpol issue a warrant for him.<\/p>\n<p>After the fall and killing of longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in a 2011 uprising-turned-civil war, Mas&#039;ud, an explosives expert for Libya\u2019s intelligence service, was detained by a militia in western Libya. He served 10 years in prison in Tripoli for crimes related to his position during Gadhafi\u2019s rule.<\/p>\n<p>He was released in June after completing his sentence. After his release, he was under permanent surveillance and barely left his family home, a military official said.<\/p>\n<p>The neighborhood is controlled by the Stabilization Support Authority, an umbrella of militias led by warlord Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, a close ally of Dbeibah. Al-Kikli has been accused by Amnesty International of involvement in war crimes and other serious rights violations over the past decade.<\/p>\n<p>More than a decade after the death of Gadhafi, Libya remains chaotic and lawless, with militias still holding sway over large territories. The country&#039;s security forces are weak, compared to local militias, with which the Dbeibah government is allied to varying degrees.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.65625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//25//66//90//808x532_cmsv2_f1bc1b35-ff84-5f4a-8232-f51ed245b7c0-7256690.jpg/" alt=\"AP\/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/384x252_cmsv2_f1bc1b35-ff84-5f4a-8232-f51ed245b7c0-7256690.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/640x420_cmsv2_f1bc1b35-ff84-5f4a-8232-f51ed245b7c0-7256690.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/750x492_cmsv2_f1bc1b35-ff84-5f4a-8232-f51ed245b7c0-7256690.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/828x543_cmsv2_f1bc1b35-ff84-5f4a-8232-f51ed245b7c0-7256690.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/1080x709_cmsv2_f1bc1b35-ff84-5f4a-8232-f51ed245b7c0-7256690.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/1200x788_cmsv2_f1bc1b35-ff84-5f4a-8232-f51ed245b7c0-7256690.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/1920x1260_cmsv2_f1bc1b35-ff84-5f4a-8232-f51ed245b7c0-7256690.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">FILE - In this December 1988 file photo, the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 103 is examined after an explosion brought the plane down over Lockerbie, Scotland,<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP\/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Raid to capture Mas'ud<\/h2><p>Then came the raid in mid-November, which was described by the officials.<\/p>\n<p>Militiamen rushed into Mas&#039;ud&#039;s bedroom and seized him, transporting him blindfolded to a detention center run by the SSA in Tripoli. He was there for two weeks before he was given to another militia in Misrata, known as the Joint Force, which reports directly to Dbeibah. It&#039;s a new paramilitary unit established as part of a network of militias that support him.<\/p>\n<p>In Misrata, Mas&#039;ud was interrogated by Libyan officers in the presence of US intelligence officers, said a Libyan official briefed on the interrogation. Mas&#039;ud declined to answer questions about his alleged role in the Lockerbie attack, including the contents of an interview that the US says he gave to Libyan authorities in 2012 during which he admitted to being the bomb-maker. He insisted his detention and extradition are illegal, the official said.<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, US officials received a copy of the 2012 interview in which they said Mas&#039;ud admitted building the bomb and working with two other conspirators to carry out the attack on the Pan Am plane. According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, Mas&#039;ud said that the operation was ordered by Libyan intelligence and that Gadhafi thanked him and other members of the team afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>Some have questioned the legality of Mas&#039;ud&#039;s handover, given the role of informal armed groups and a lack of official extradition procedures.<\/p>\n<p>Harchaoui, the analyst, said Mas&#039;ud&#039;s extradition signals the US is condoning what he portrayed as lawless behavior.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat the foreign states are doing is that they are saying we don\u2019t care how the sausage is made,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are getting things that we like.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1671358514,"updatedAt":1671389113,"publishedAt":1671389109,"firstPublishedAt":1671389113,"lastPublishedAt":1671389113,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"Artist sketch shows suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi in federal court in Washington, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Artist sketch shows suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi in federal court in Washington, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9a94fc0f-3f57-5b11-a9c6-0ba14e4449d6-7256690.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/AP","altText":"FILE - In this December 1988 file photo, the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 103 is examined after an explosion brought the plane down over Lockerbie, Scotland,","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"FILE - In this December 1988 file photo, the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 103 is examined after an explosion brought the plane down over Lockerbie, Scotland,","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f1bc1b35-ff84-5f4a-8232-f51ed245b7c0-7256690.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":672},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/AP1988","altText":"FILE: Area where Pan Am flight 103 came down in Lockerbie, Scotland shown Dec. 26, 1988. ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"FILE: Area where Pan Am flight 103 came down in Lockerbie, Scotland shown Dec. 26, 1988. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/66\/90\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4ec29290-5a22-535d-a31e-c1c10558b621-7256690.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":675}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"libya","titleRaw":"Libya","id":172,"title":"Libya","slug":"libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"scotland","titleRaw":"Scotland","id":7990,"title":"Scotland","slug":"scotland"},{"urlSafeValue":"lockerbie","titleRaw":"Lockerbie","id":8005,"title":"Lockerbie","slug":"lockerbie"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2146932},{"id":1326620},{"id":627118}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":172,"urlSafeValue":"libya","title":"Libya","url":"\/news\/africa\/libya"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'neg_facebook_2021','neg_mobkoi_castrol','castrol_negative_uk','gs_law','neg_facebook_q4','neg_nespresso','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','neg_saudiaramco','gs_politics','gv_death_injury','gb_terrorism_serious','gt_mixed','gv_military','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_law_misc','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gv_crime','gb_death_injury_serious','gs_politics_misc','gv_terrorism','gv_arms','gb_terrorism_news-ent'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"WEB LOCKERBIE BOMB SUSPECT DETAILS","path":"\/2022\/12\/18\/lockerbie-bomb-suspect-held-by-libyan-militia-before-us-handover","lastModified":1671389113},{"id":2127346,"cid":7199268,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221117_NWSU_49147987","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Greek foreign minister causes a stir after refusing to leave plane on visit to Tripoli","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Greek foreign minister refuses to leave his plane on visit to Tripoli","titleListing2":"Greek foreign minister causes a stir after refusing to leave plane on visit to Tripoli","leadin":"Dendias was about to be welcomed by his Tripoli counterpart, which Athens says was not agreed on.","summary":"Dendias was about to be welcomed by his Tripoli counterpart, which Athens says was not agreed on.","keySentence":"","url":"greek-foreign-minister-causes-a-stir-after-refusing-to-leave-plane-on-visit-to-tripoli","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/17\/greek-foreign-minister-causes-a-stir-after-refusing-to-leave-plane-on-visit-to-tripoli","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Greece\u2019s foreign minister called off the first leg of his visit to Libya just moments after landing in Tripoli on Thursday. \n\nNikos Dendias was on a two-part trip to meet\u00a0Libya\u2019s rival western administration in the capital and\u00a0the east-based administration in\u00a0the city of Benghazi. \n\nBut he refused\u00a0to disembark from his plane in Tripoli when his counterpart, Najla Mangoush, came to the airport to greet him. Instead, Dendias flew to Benghazi ahead of schedule. \n\nMangoush signed the controversial Turkish-Libyan oil and gas exploration deal in October -- a move Athens blasted, claiming the Tripoli government was not authorised to do so. \n\nDendias earlier requested to be greeted by the president of Libya\u2019s National Transitional Council, Mohamed Younis Menfi, and that no one else would be present for the meeting, the Greek press reported.\u00a0 \n\nThe Greek Foreign Ministry described the incident as a violation of protocol and the agreed terms for the visit. \n\nIn a terse statement, Athens\u00a0condemned the move and promised to retaliate \"with appropriate diplomatic measures\". \n\nGas deal fuels further Mediterranean feuds \n\nSince March, two governments have been battling for power in Libya after the 2011 uprising. \n\nA spokesperson for the Tripoli-based government said Mangoush\u2019s presence at the airport was part of diplomatic conventions and that Dendias had left the city \"without offering explanations\". \n\nIn response, Tripoli said it had recalled the Libyan ambassador in Athens and had summoned the Greek charg\u00e9 d'affaires. \n\nTensions have been rising in the Mediterranean following a controversial maritime and gas deal between Turkey and the Tripoli government. \n\nLast month's preliminary deal has been rejected by both Greece and Egypt, who also accuse Turkey of using the agreement to try to expand its influence in the region.\u00a0 \n\nDuring a Cairo visit last month, Dendias said the deal infringes on Greek maritime borders. \n\nIn 2019, Turkey signed another controversial maritime border deal with Tripoli, granting it access to a contested economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean.\u00a0 \n\nThe deal ignored the existence of several Greek islands, including Crete, and reignited tensions over oil and gas drilling rights. \n\nMeanwhile, Cairo and Athens have strengthened ties in recent years, including signing new maritime border agreements with Cyprus. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Greece\u2019s foreign minister called off the first leg of his visit to Libya just moments after landing in Tripoli on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Nikos Dendias was on a two-part trip to meet\u00a0Libya\u2019s rival western administration in the capital and\u00a0the east-based administration in\u00a0the city of Benghazi.<\/p>\n<p>But he refused\u00a0to disembark from his plane in Tripoli when his counterpart, Najla Mangoush, came to the airport to greet him. Instead, Dendias flew to Benghazi ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n<p>Mangoush signed the controversial Turkish-Libyan oil and gas exploration deal in October -- a move Athens blasted, claiming the Tripoli government was not authorised to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Dendias earlier requested to be greeted by the president of Libya\u2019s National Transitional Council, Mohamed Younis Menfi, and that no one else would be present for the meeting, the Greek press reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Greek Foreign Ministry described the incident as a violation of protocol and the agreed terms for the visit.<\/p>\n<p>In a terse statement, Athens\u00a0condemned the move and promised to retaliate \"with appropriate diplomatic measures\".<\/p>\n<h2>Gas deal fuels further Mediterranean feuds<\/h2><p>Since March, two governments have been battling for power in Libya after the 2011 uprising.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for the Tripoli-based government said Mangoush\u2019s presence at the airport was part of diplomatic conventions and that Dendias had left the city \"without offering explanations\".<\/p>\n<p>In response, Tripoli said it had recalled the Libyan ambassador in Athens and had summoned the Greek charg\u00e9 d&#039;affaires.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6839766,6667836\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//07//11//greek-prime-minister-demands-answers-over-map-that-shows-islands-as-turkish/">Greek Prime Minister demands answers over map that shows islands as Turkish<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//04//29//greece-and-turkey-accuse-each-other-s-military-of-airspace-violations/">Greece and Turkey accuse each other's military of airspace violations<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Tensions have been rising in the Mediterranean following a controversial maritime and gas deal between Turkey and the Tripoli government.<\/p>\n<p>Last month&#039;s preliminary deal has been rejected by both Greece and Egypt, who also accuse Turkey of using the agreement to try to expand its influence in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During a Cairo visit last month, Dendias said the deal infringes on Greek maritime borders.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, Turkey signed another controversial maritime border deal with Tripoli, granting it access to a contested economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The deal ignored the existence of several Greek islands, including Crete, and reignited tensions over oil and gas drilling rights.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Cairo and Athens have strengthened ties in recent years, including signing new maritime border agreements with Cyprus.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1668700950,"updatedAt":1668708107,"publishedAt":1668708104,"firstPublishedAt":1668708107,"lastPublishedAt":1668708107,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic","altText":"Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias at a press conference in Belgrade in June 2022","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias at a press conference in Belgrade in June 2022","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/92\/68\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_06a60ce5-fbef-50ed-9e2b-c745370a89fa-7199268.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Roberto Monaldo\/LaPresse via AP","altText":"Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, pictured during a press conference in Rome on Wednesday.","callToActionText":null,"width":5386,"caption":"Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, pictured during a press conference in Rome on Wednesday.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/92\/68\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c3a25418-6df6-5af9-9e45-b6a8e9e8c098-7199268.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3591}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"libya","titleRaw":"Libya","id":172,"title":"Libya","slug":"libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"turkey-libya-sea-agreement","titleRaw":"Turkiye Libya sea agreement","id":22056,"title":"Turkiye Libya sea agreement","slug":"turkey-libya-sea-agreement"},{"urlSafeValue":"turkey-greece-relations","titleRaw":"Turkiye-Greece relations","id":23758,"title":"Turkiye-Greece relations","slug":"turkey-greece-relations"},{"urlSafeValue":"german-turkish-relations","titleRaw":"German-Turkish relations","id":13026,"title":"German-Turkish relations","slug":"german-turkish-relations"},{"urlSafeValue":"foreign-minister","titleRaw":"Foreign Minister","id":13410,"title":"Foreign Minister","slug":"foreign-minister"},{"urlSafeValue":"greece","titleRaw":"Greece","id":128,"title":"Greece","slug":"greece"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2108892},{"id":1948756},{"id":2045616}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP, AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"urlSafeValue":"my-europe","id":2,"title":"My Europe","slug":"my-europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"},{"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","id":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":172,"urlSafeValue":"libya","title":"Libya","url":"\/news\/africa\/libya"},"town":{"id":4252,"urlSafeValue":"tripoli","title":"Tripoli"},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"WEB GREEK MINISTER REFUSES TO LEAVE PLANE","path":"\/2022\/11\/17\/greek-foreign-minister-causes-a-stir-after-refusing-to-leave-plane-on-visit-to-tripoli","lastModified":1668708107},{"id":2045616,"cid":6977664,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"220828_NWSU_47975523","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Libya capital remains tense a day after clashes kill more than 30","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Libya capital remains tense a day after clashes kill more than 30","titleListing2":"\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddfe Libya capital remains tense a day after clashes kill more than 30","leadin":"The fighting broke out early Saturday and pitted militias loyal to the Tripoli-based government against other armed groups allied with a rival administration","summary":"The fighting broke out early Saturday and pitted militias loyal to the Tripoli-based government against other armed groups allied with a rival administration","keySentence":"","url":"libya-capital-remains-tense-a-day-after-clashes-kill-more-than-30","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/08\/28\/libya-capital-remains-tense-a-day-after-clashes-kill-more-than-30","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Militias patrolled nearly deserted streets in Libya\u2019s capital Sunday, a day after clashes killed more than 30 people and ended Tripoli\u2019s monthslong stretch of relative calm. \n\nThe fighting broke out early Saturday and pitted militias loyal to the Tripoli-based government against other armed groups allied with a rival administration that has for months sought to be seated in the capital. \n\nResidents fear the fighting could explode into a wider war and a return to the peaks of Libya's long-running conflict. \n\nLibya has plunged into chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The oil-rich county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments. \n\nThe current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah's refusal to step down. In response, the country\u2019s east-based parliament appointed a rival prime minister, Fathy Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli. \n\nSaturday's fighting centered in the densely populated city center and involved heavy artillery. Hundreds were trapped and hospitals, government and residential buildings were damaged. \n\nThe Health Ministry said at least 32 people were killed and 159 wounded in the clashes. \n\nAmong the dead was Mustafa Baraka, a comedian known for his social media videos mocking militias and corruption. He was shot reportedly while live-streaming on social media. It was not clear whether he was targeted. \n\nReporters spoke to dozens of residents and witnesses who recounted horrific scenes of people, including women and children, trapped in their homes, government buildings and hospitals. They also spoke of at least three motionless bodies that remained for hours in the street before an ambulance was able to reach the area. They asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal from the militias. \n\n\u201cWe see death before our eyes and in the eyes of our children,\u201d said a woman who was trapped along with many families in a residential apartment. \u201cThe world should protect those innocent children like they did at the time of Gadhafi.\u201d \n\nMilitias allied with Tripoli-based Dbeibah were seen roaming the streets in the capital early Sunday. Their rivals were stationed at their positions in the outskirts of the city, according to local media. \n\nMuch of the city has suffered nightly power outages. Several businesses were closed Sunday and the state-run National Oil Corp. ordered its employees to work remotely Sunday. \n\nResidents were still wary of potential violence and most stayed in their homes Sunday. Many rushed to supermarkets when the clashes subsided late Saturday to stock up on food and other necessities. \n\n\u201cIt could be triggered in a flash. They (the militias) are uncontrolled,\" said a Tripoli school teacher who only gave a partial name, Abu Salim. \u201cOur demand is very simple: a normal life.\" \n\nDbeibah\u2019s government claimed the fighting began when a member of a rival militia fired at a patrol of another militia in Tripoli's Zawiya Street. It said the shots came amid a mobilization of Bashagha-allied groups around the capital. The claim couldn\u2019t be independently verified. \n\nMilitia clashes are not uncommon in Tripoli. Last month, at least 13 people were killed in militia fighting. In May, Bashagha attempted to install his government in Tripoli, triggering clashes that ended with his withdrawal from the city. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Militias patrolled nearly deserted streets in Libya\u2019s capital Sunday, a day after clashes killed more than 30 people and ended Tripoli\u2019s monthslong stretch of relative calm.<\/p>\n<p>The fighting broke out early Saturday and pitted militias loyal to the Tripoli-based government against other armed groups allied with a rival administration that has for months sought to be seated in the capital.<\/p>\n<p>Residents fear the fighting could explode into a wider war and a return to the peaks of Libya&#039;s long-running conflict.<\/p>\n<p>Libya has plunged into chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The oil-rich county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.<\/p>\n<p>The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah&#039;s refusal to step down. In response, the country\u2019s east-based parliament appointed a rival prime minister, Fathy Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.<\/p>\n<p>Saturday&#039;s fighting centered in the densely populated city center and involved heavy artillery. Hundreds were trapped and hospitals, government and residential buildings were damaged.<\/p>\n<p>The Health Ministry said at least 32 people were killed and 159 wounded in the clashes.<\/p>\n<p>Among the dead was Mustafa Baraka, a comedian known for his social media videos mocking militias and corruption. He was shot reportedly while live-streaming on social media. It was not clear whether he was targeted.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6975300,6874744,6738878\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//07//23//armed-groups-clash-in-libyan-capital-killing-13/">Armed groups clash in Libyan capital, killing 13<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//05//28//un-report-libya-faces-serious-security-threat-from-foreign-fighters-russia-s-wagner/">UN report: Libya faces serious security threat from foreign fighters, Russia's Wagner<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//08//27//libya-clashes-between-two-armed-groups-in-tripoli-cause-damage/">Libya : Clashes between two armed groups in Tripoli cause damage<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Reporters spoke to dozens of residents and witnesses who recounted horrific scenes of people, including women and children, trapped in their homes, government buildings and hospitals. They also spoke of at least three motionless bodies that remained for hours in the street before an ambulance was able to reach the area. They asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal from the militias.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe see death before our eyes and in the eyes of our children,\u201d said a woman who was trapped along with many families in a residential apartment. \u201cThe world should protect those innocent children like they did at the time of Gadhafi.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Militias allied with Tripoli-based Dbeibah were seen roaming the streets in the capital early Sunday. Their rivals were stationed at their positions in the outskirts of the city, according to local media.<\/p>\n<p>Much of the city has suffered nightly power outages. Several businesses were closed Sunday and the state-run National Oil Corp. ordered its employees to work remotely Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Residents were still wary of potential violence and most stayed in their homes Sunday. Many rushed to supermarkets when the clashes subsided late Saturday to stock up on food and other necessities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt could be triggered in a flash. They (the militias) are uncontrolled,\" said a Tripoli school teacher who only gave a partial name, Abu Salim. \u201cOur demand is very simple: a normal life.\"<\/p>\n<p>Dbeibah\u2019s government claimed the fighting began when a member of a rival militia fired at a patrol of another militia in Tripoli&#039;s Zawiya Street. It said the shots came amid a mobilization of Bashagha-allied groups around the capital. The claim couldn\u2019t be independently verified.<\/p>\n<p>Militia clashes are not uncommon in Tripoli. Last month, at least 13 people were killed in militia fighting. In May, Bashagha attempted to install his government in Tripoli, triggering clashes that ended with his withdrawal from the city.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1661689844,"updatedAt":1661692328,"publishedAt":1661691255,"firstPublishedAt":1661691257,"lastPublishedAt":1661692067,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo \/ Yousef Murad","altText":"The remains of a car burned during clashes stands in a street in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Sunday, August 28 2022.","callToActionText":null,"width":1800,"caption":"The remains of a car burned during clashes stands in a street in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Sunday, August 28 2022.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/97\/76\/64\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_bf1f43b6-a850-50da-9459-986ad1c465e1-6977664.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1200}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"civil-war-in-libya","titleRaw":"civil war in Libya","id":22368,"title":"civil war in Libya","slug":"civil-war-in-libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"libya","titleRaw":"Libya","id":172,"title":"Libya","slug":"libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"libyan-war","titleRaw":"Libyan war","id":10515,"title":"Libyan war","slug":"libyan-war"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2127346}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"qtMmWWVjKHA","dailymotionId":"x8db8wr"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":58400,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7271930,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/08\/28\/en\/220828_NWSU_47975523_47975526_58400_150723_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":58400,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":10720762,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/08\/28\/en\/220828_NWSU_47975523_47975526_58400_150723_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":172,"urlSafeValue":"libya","title":"Libya","url":"\/news\/africa\/libya"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'neg_facebook_2021','neg_facebook_q4','neg_mobkoi_castrol','castrol_negative_uk','gv_death_injury','neg_facebook','gt_negative','neg_saudiaramco','gs_politics_misc','neg_facebook_neg1','gv_military','gs_politics','neg_nespresso','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','gt_negative_dislike'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"WEB - LIBYA CLASHES LEAVE 30 DEAD","path":"\/2022\/08\/28\/libya-capital-remains-tense-a-day-after-clashes-kill-more-than-30","lastModified":1661692067},{"id":1948756,"cid":6738878,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"220528_NWSU_46676976","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"UN report: Libya faces serious security threat from foreign fighters, Russia's Wagner","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"UN report: Libya faces serious threat from foreign fighters, Wagner","titleListing2":"UN experts claim numerous groups, including Russia's Wagner mercenaries, are behind many international law violations in a country that turned volatile after the death of dictator Moammar Gaddafi.","leadin":"A report made by UN experts cites numerous groups, including Russia's Wagner mercenaries, as being behind many international law violations in a country that turned volatile after the death of dictator Moammar Gaddafi.","summary":"A report made by UN experts cites numerous groups, including Russia's Wagner mercenaries, as being behind many international law violations in a country that turned volatile after the death of dictator Moammar Gaddafi.","keySentence":"","url":"un-report-libya-faces-serious-security-threat-from-foreign-fighters-russia-s-wagner","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/05\/28\/un-report-libya-faces-serious-security-threat-from-foreign-fighters-russia-s-wagner","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Libya faces a serious security threat from foreign fighters and private military companies, especially Russia's Wagner Group which has violated international law, a UN expert report said. \n\n\nThe experts also accused seven Libyan armed groups of systematically using unlawful detention to punish perceived opponents, ignoring international and domestic civil rights laws, including those prohibiting torture. \n\nIn particular, \"migrants have been extremely vulnerable to human rights abuses and regularly subjected to acts of slavery, rape and torture,\" the panel said in the report to the UN Security Council obtained late Friday. \n\nThe oil-rich North African nation plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed.\u00a0 \n\nIt then became divided between rival governments: one in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Hifter, and an UN-supported administration in the capital of Tripoli. Each side is propped up by different militias and foreign powers. \n\nIn April 2019, Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli.\u00a0 \n\nHis campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support for the UN-supported government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. \n\nAn October 2020 cease-fire deal led to an agreement on a transitional government in early February 2021 and elections were scheduled for the last 24 December aimed at unifying the country.\u00a0 \n\nBut they were cancelled and the country now has rival governments with two Libyans claiming to be prime ministers. \n\nThe cease-fire agreement called for the speedy withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries but the panel said \"there has been little verifiable evidence of any large-scale withdrawals taking place to date.\" \n\nThe report said Chadian opposition groups operate from Libya and Sudanese fighters have been recruited by Hifter. \n\nWagner mercenaries accused of crimes against civilians \n\nTurkish-backed Syrian combatants have been seen by the panel in government military camps in Tripoli, while Hifter-affiliated Syrian fighters operate alongside the Wagner Group's mercenaries in the strategic northern city of Sirte and nearby Jufra.\u00a0 \n\nAt least 300 of these Syrians have returned home and not been replaced by Hifter, the report said. \n\nThe panel said it continues to investigate the deployment of Wagner fighters and the transfers of arms and related materiel to support its operations. \n\nThe Wagner Group passes itself off as a private military contractor and the Kremlin denies any connection to it.\u00a0 \n\nBut the US identifies Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin as Wagner's main financier and the group has been hired in a number of conflicts to serve the interests of the Russian government. \n\nThe panel said it considers a Samsung electronic tablet left on a Libyan battlefield by a Wagner mercenary and obtained by the BBC in early 2021 to be authentic.\u00a0 \n\nIt contained maps of the locations of 35 unmarked anti-personnel mines in the Ain Zara area of south Tripoli which was then a frontline area under Hifter's control, supported by Wagner. \n\nSeveral mines had never been reported as being in Libya before and their transfer, therefore, violated the UN arms embargo, the panel said. It added that a booby-trapped mine exploded during a clearance operation killing two civilian experts. \n\nThe report claims that the authors also received information about the recovery of anti-tank mines from positions primarily occupied by Wagner in south Tripoli. \n\nThe panel said the failure to visibly mark the anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and issue warnings of their locations to civilians in the areas was a violation of the international humanitarian law by Wagner. \n\nThe Wagner tablet also contained a list of requested items including drones and tanks that would violate the arms embargo if delivered, the panel said, but it did not know if any of it had. \n\nThe panel said it identified 18 arms transfers and four examples of military training between March 2021 and late April 2022 that violated the UN arms embargo.\u00a0 \n\nAmong the examples it cited was the Luccello, a ship flying the Comoros flag that delivered 100 armoured vehicles to Hifter in Benghazi. \n\n'Turning a blind eye to rape' \n\nThe experts said four migrants suffered human rights abuses in secret detention facilities controlled by human traffickers in the areas of Tazirbu in the Libyan desert and Bani Walid near the northwest coast. \n\nThey said victims were enslaved, severely beaten, deliberately starved and denied medical care. \n\n\"Two former female detainees, who were 14- and 15-year-old girls at the time, further testified to the panel that multiple perpetrators repeatedly raped them, subjected them to sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence during the period of over 18 months in a secret detention facility in Bani Walid,\" the report said. \n\nThe panel said it also found that guards responsible for protecting the most vulnerable migrants in the government-run Shara al-Zawiya detention centre \"took a direct part in or turned a blind eye to consistent acts of rape, sexual exploitation and threats of rape against women and girls\" detained there between January and June 2021. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Libya faces a serious security threat from foreign fighters and private military companies, especially Russia&#039;s Wagner Group which has violated international law, a UN expert report said. <\/p>\n<p>The experts also accused seven Libyan armed groups of systematically using unlawful detention to punish perceived opponents, ignoring international and domestic civil rights laws, including those prohibiting torture.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, \"migrants have been extremely vulnerable to human rights abuses and regularly subjected to acts of slavery, rape and torture,\" the panel said in the report to the UN Security Council obtained late Friday.<\/p>\n<p>The oil-rich North African nation plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It then became divided between rival governments: one in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Hifter, and an UN-supported administration in the capital of Tripoli. Each side is propped up by different militias and foreign powers.<\/p>\n<p>In April 2019, Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>His campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support for the UN-supported government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.<\/p>\n<p>An October 2020 cease-fire deal led to an agreement on a transitional government in early February 2021 and elections were scheduled for the last 24 December aimed at unifying the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But they were cancelled and the country now has rival governments with two Libyans claiming to be prime ministers.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"5352706,6307526\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//02//06//hope-for-progress-in-libya-as-factions-agree-interim-presidential-council/">Hope for progress in Libya as factions agree interim presidential council<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//12//15//a-decade-since-gaddafi-libya-s-election-raises-fears-of-new-violence/">A decade since Gaddafi, Libya's election raises fears of new violence <\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The cease-fire agreement called for the speedy withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries but the panel said \"there has been little verifiable evidence of any large-scale withdrawals taking place to date.\"<\/p>\n<p>The report said Chadian opposition groups operate from Libya and Sudanese fighters have been recruited by Hifter.<\/p>\n<h2>Wagner mercenaries accused of crimes against civilians<\/h2><p>Turkish-backed Syrian combatants have been seen by the panel in government military camps in Tripoli, while Hifter-affiliated Syrian fighters operate alongside the Wagner Group&#039;s mercenaries in the strategic northern city of Sirte and nearby Jufra.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At least 300 of these Syrians have returned home and not been replaced by Hifter, the report said.<\/p>\n<p>The panel said it continues to investigate the deployment of Wagner fighters and the transfers of arms and related materiel to support its operations.<\/p>\n<p>The Wagner Group passes itself off as a private military contractor and the Kremlin denies any connection to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But the US identifies Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin as Wagner&#039;s main financier and the group has been hired in a number of conflicts to serve the interests of the Russian government.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6302168,4374926\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//12//14//eu-sanctions-russia-s-wagner-group-over-human-rights-abuse-claims/">EU sanctions Russia's Wagner Group over human rights abuse claims<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2019//12//18//who-are-the-russian-mercenaries-waging-war-in-libya/">Who are the Russian mercenaries waging war in Libya?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The panel said it considers a Samsung electronic tablet left on a Libyan battlefield by a Wagner mercenary and obtained by the BBC in early 2021 to be authentic.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It contained maps of the locations of 35 unmarked anti-personnel mines in the Ain Zara area of south Tripoli which was then a frontline area under Hifter&#039;s control, supported by Wagner.<\/p>\n<p>Several mines had never been reported as being in Libya before and their transfer, therefore, violated the UN arms embargo, the panel said. It added that a booby-trapped mine exploded during a clearance operation killing two civilian experts.<\/p>\n<p>The report claims that the authors also received information about the recovery of anti-tank mines from positions primarily occupied by Wagner in south Tripoli.<\/p>\n<p>The panel said the failure to visibly mark the anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and issue warnings of their locations to civilians in the areas was a violation of the international humanitarian law by Wagner.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"5997562,5007552\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2020//09//26//russia-china-blocking-report-into-libya-conflict-arms-embargo-violations/">Russia, China blocking report into Libya conflict arms embargo violations<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//08//19//russia-supports-withdrawal-of-foreign-fighters-from-libya/">Russia supports withdrawal of foreign fighters from Libya<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Wagner tablet also contained a list of requested items including drones and tanks that would violate the arms embargo if delivered, the panel said, but it did not know if any of it had.<\/p>\n<p>The panel said it identified 18 arms transfers and four examples of military training between March 2021 and late April 2022 that violated the UN arms embargo.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Among the examples it cited was the Luccello, a ship flying the Comoros flag that delivered 100 armoured vehicles to Hifter in Benghazi.<\/p>\n<h2>'Turning a blind eye to rape'<\/h2><p>The experts said four migrants suffered human rights abuses in secret detention facilities controlled by human traffickers in the areas of Tazirbu in the Libyan desert and Bani Walid near the northwest coast.<\/p>\n<p>They said victims were enslaved, severely beaten, deliberately starved and denied medical care.<\/p>\n<p>\"Two former female detainees, who were 14- and 15-year-old girls at the time, further testified to the panel that multiple perpetrators repeatedly raped them, subjected them to sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence during the period of over 18 months in a secret detention facility in Bani Walid,\" the report said.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"5662786,3903564\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2019//05//20//they-sprayed-the-room-with-bullets-migrants-in-libyan-detention-centres-living-in-fear/">'They sprayed the room with bullets': migrants in Libyan detention centres living in fear<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//07//30//a-hotbed-of-squalor-and-torture-libya-is-closing-its-migrant-detention-centres/">Libya's detention centre closures: lancing lawlessness or consolidating poltical control? <\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The panel said it also found that guards responsible for protecting the most vulnerable migrants in the government-run Shara al-Zawiya detention centre \"took a direct part in or turned a blind eye to consistent acts of rape, sexual exploitation and threats of rape against women and girls\" detained there between January and June 2021.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1653740223,"updatedAt":1653742209,"publishedAt":1653742205,"firstPublishedAt":1653742209,"lastPublishedAt":1653742209,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Yousef Murad","altText":"Forces loyal to Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, one of Libya\u2019s two rival prime ministers, secure the streets of Tripoli on 17 May 2022","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Forces loyal to Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, one of Libya\u2019s two rival prime ministers, secure the streets of Tripoli on 17 May 2022","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/73\/88\/78\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_38fa9cad-0378-5f71-a602-68b3212de9ec-6738878.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"libyan-war","titleRaw":"Libyan war","id":10515,"title":"Libyan 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LIBYA FOREIGN FIGHTERS","path":"\/2022\/05\/28\/un-report-libya-faces-serious-security-threat-from-foreign-fighters-russia-s-wagner","lastModified":1653742209},{"id":1904126,"cid":6624200,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"220417_NCSU_46028452","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":6},{"id":8},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Libya's underground homes wait for tourism revival","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Libya's underground homes wait for tourism revival","titleListing2":"Libya's underground homes wait for tourism revival","leadin":"Gharyan's unique underground houses were hewn into the mountainside centuries ago, and many lie abandoned, but residents of the Libyan town are hoping tourism can help restore their heritage.","summary":"Gharyan's unique underground houses were hewn into the mountainside centuries ago, and many lie abandoned, but residents of the Libyan town are hoping tourism can help restore their heritage.","keySentence":"","url":"libya-s-underground-homes-wait-for-tourism-revival","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/04\/17\/libya-s-underground-homes-wait-for-tourism-revival","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Gharyan's unique underground houses were hewn into the mountainside centuries ago, and many lie abandoned, but residents of the Libyan town are hoping tourism can help restore their heritage.\u00a0 \n\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Gharyan&#039;s unique underground houses were hewn into the mountainside centuries ago, and many lie abandoned, but residents of the Libyan town are hoping tourism can help restore their heritage.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1650205981,"updatedAt":1650639193,"publishedAt":1650207047,"firstPublishedAt":1650207052,"lastPublishedAt":1650639193,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"MAHMUD TURKIA\/AFP","altText":"The interior of a \"damous\", a dwelling carved into Libya's arid Nafusa mountains, in Gharyan town.","callToActionText":null,"width":4000,"caption":"The interior of a \"damous\", a dwelling carved into Libya's arid Nafusa mountains, in Gharyan town.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/62\/42\/00\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7500aeed-7e49-59fc-846d-7781de74bba4-6624200.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2252}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"pitiot","twitter":null,"title":"Christophe Pitiot"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"urlSafeValue":"pitiot","twitter":null,"title":"Christophe Pitiot"}]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"libya","titleRaw":"Libya","id":172,"title":"Libya","slug":"libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"tripoli","titleRaw":"Tripoli","id":16833,"title":"Tripoli","slug":"tripoli"},{"urlSafeValue":"heritage","titleRaw":"Heritage","id":12851,"title":"Heritage","slug":"heritage"},{"urlSafeValue":"cultural-heritage","titleRaw":"Cultural Heritage","id":12361,"title":"Cultural Heritage","slug":"cultural-heritage"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":1950958},{"id":2079510}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":5838318,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/22\/04\/17\/en\/220417_NCSU_46028452_46028567_60000_164648_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":9754852,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/22\/04\/17\/en\/220417_NCSU_46028452_46028567_60000_164648_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":172,"urlSafeValue":"libya","title":"Libya","url":"\/news\/africa\/libya"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gs_travel_holidays','eap-gs-homerfaber-fs-30july19','mortgages_home_eng','gs_travel','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gt_positive_love','gs_home_property','gt_positive','gs_home','gv_safe'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NC 4 LIBYA UNDERGROUND HOMES","path":"\/video\/2022\/04\/17\/libya-s-underground-homes-wait-for-tourism-revival","lastModified":1650639193},{"id":1818154,"cid":6422610,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"220125_WBSU_44668037","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"EU report calls for Libya training to continue despite migrant abuse claims","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"EU report calls for Libya training to continue despite abuse claims","titleListing2":"EU report calls for Libya training to continue despite migrant abuse claims","leadin":"The European Commission and the EU\u2019s External Action Service declined to comment on the report.","summary":"The European Commission and the EU\u2019s External Action Service declined to comment on the report.","keySentence":"","url":"eu-report-calls-for-libya-training-to-continue-despite-migrant-abuse-claims","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/01\/25\/eu-report-calls-for-libya-training-to-continue-despite-migrant-abuse-claims","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A confidential European Union military report calls for continuing a controversial EU programme to train and equip Libya\u2019s coast guard and navy despite growing concerns about their treatment of migrants, a mounting death toll at sea, and the continued lack of any central authority in the North African nation. \n\nThe report, circulated to EU officials this month, offers a rare look at Europe\u2019s determination to support Libya in the interception and return of tens of thousands of migrants to the country, where it is claimed they face insufferable abuse. \n\nCompiled by Italian navy rear admiral Stefano Turchetto, head of the EU arms embargo surveillance mission, or Operation Irini, the report acknowledges the \u201cexcessive use of force\u201d by Libyan authorities, adding that EU training is \u201cno longer fully followed\u201d. \n\nThe European Commission and the EU\u2019s External Action Service declined to comment on the report. \n\nBut spokesman Peter Stano confirmed the EU is determined to train coast guard personnel and bolster Libya\u2019s capacity to manage a massive search-and-rescue area of the Mediterranean. \n\nThe EU training programme \u201cremains firmly on the table to increase the capacity of the Libyan authorities to save lives at sea,\" Stano said. \n\nCriticism of EU migration policies grows \n\nHundreds of thousands of migrants hoping to reach Europe have made their way through Libya, where a lucrative trafficking and smuggling business has flourished in a country without a functioning government, fragmented for years between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. \n\nThe EU report acknowledges \u201cthe political stalemate\u201d in Libya has hindered Europe's training programme, noting that the country's internal divisions make it difficult to obtain political support for enforcing \"proper behavioural standards ... compliant with human rights, especially when dealing with irregular migrants\u201d. \n\nCriticism of EU's migration policies has been growing. At least three requests have been filed to the International Criminal Court demanding that Libyan and European officials, as well as traffickers, militiamen, and others be investigated for crimes against humanity. \n\nA UN inquiry published in October also found evidence that abuses committed in Libya may amount to crimes against humanity. \n\nLast week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for countries to \u201cre-examine policies that support interception at sea and return of refugees and migrants to Libya.\u201d \n\nStano dismissed those criticisms. \u201cWhen it comes to migration, our objective is to save peoples\u2019 lives, protect those in need and fight trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling,\u201d Stano said. \n\nHuman rights defenders and asylum seekers disagree. \n\n\u201cThe Europeans pretend to show the good face,\u201d said a Cameroonian woman who arrived in Libya in 2016 with her child thinking she would find work. Instead, she was trafficked and forced into prostitution after being separated from her daughter. \n\nIn 2018 she got on a smuggler\u2019s boat bound for Europe but her group was caught by Libyan authorities and taken to the notorious Tajoura detention centre where detainees were beaten and abused. \n\nShe was only released after a friend paid a \u20ac620 ransom to the guards. \n\n\u201cThey\u2019re calling it saving lives? How is it saving lives when those lives are tortured after being saved?\" the woman, who remained anonymous as a victim of trafficking, asked. \n\nNo changes on the ground \n\nQuestioned about the detention centres in Libya, Stano said the EU\u2019s position is clear: \"They are unacceptable. The current arbitrary detention system must end.\u201d \n\nBut despite such assertions, nothing has changed on the ground. The Libyan government last month named Mohammed Al-Khoja, a militia leader implicated in abuses against migrants, to head the Department for Combating Irregular Migration, which oversees the detention centres. \n\n\u201cThe same people in charge of dismantling the trafficking business are the traffickers themselves,\u201d said Violeta Moreno-Lax, founder of the immigration law program at Queen Mary University of London. \n\nThe EU report noted the \u201cexcessive use of physical force\u201d by a Libyan patrol during the 15 September interception of a wooden boat with about 20 migrants off the coast of Libya. \n\nThe Libyan forces used tactics \"never observed before and not in compliance with [EU] training [\u2026] as well as international regulation,\u201d said the report. It provided no further details about what exactly happened. \n\nA spokesman for the Libyan coast guard did not respond to AP requests for comment about that incident or the EU report. \n\nIn the past, Libyan interior ministry and coast guard officials have said they are doing their best with limited resources in a country plagued by years of civil war. \n\nFrontex, the European coast guard and border agency that documented the 15 September interception said it had filed a \u201cserious incident report\u201d but could not disclose details. \n\nOzlem Demirel, a German Left party member of the European Parliament, said the report offered \"further evidence that there should be no cooperation with this force\u201d. \n\n\u201cThe fact that Irini is even seeking further training is, in my view, outrageous,\u201d he said. \n\n455 million euros further earmarked for Libya \n\nViolent tactics employed by Libyan authorities at sea have been widely documented for years. Last week, activists on a volunteer rescue ship reported seeing a Libyan patrol vessel \u201cshooting at a person who had jumped into the water\u201d. \n\nSome \u20ac455 million have been earmarked for Libya since 2015 through the EU's Trust Fund for Africa, substantial amounts of which have gone to finance migration and border management. \n\nHowever, huge sums have been diverted to networks of militiamen and traffickers who exploit migrants, according to a 2019 AP investigation. Coast guard members are also complicit, turning migrants intercepted at sea over to detention centres under deals with militias or demanding payoffs to let others go. \n\nEU money, much of it funnelled through Italy, has been used to train staff and refurbish boats for Libyan authorities. The Libyan coast guard also received satellite phones and uniforms and will get three new patrol vessels in the next two years. \n\nTo intercept the small unseaworthy migrant boats in the Mediterranean, Libyan authorities also depend on surveillance gathered and shared by European drones, aircraft, and radar. But even then the political chaos in the country often impacts search-and-rescue operations. \n\nIrregular migration from North Africa to Italy and Malta spiked in 2021 after a drop in 2020 largely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Crossings on the central Mediterranean accounted for one-third of all reported illegal border-crossings into Europe, according to Frontex. \n\nBut as departures increased, so did interceptions. Last year, the Libyan coast guard picked up and returned to Libya more than 32,000 migrants, nearly triple the number for 2020. \n\nYet despite all the equipment and training provided to Libya to save lives, more than 1,500 people died or went missing last year, the highest death toll since 2017. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>A confidential European Union military report calls for continuing a controversial EU programme to train and equip Libya\u2019s coast guard and navy despite growing concerns about their treatment of migrants, a mounting death toll at sea, and the continued lack of any central authority in the North African nation.<\/p>\n<p>The report, circulated to EU officials this month, offers a rare look at Europe\u2019s determination to support Libya in the interception and return of tens of thousands of migrants to the country, where it is claimed they face insufferable abuse.<\/p>\n<p>Compiled by Italian navy rear admiral Stefano Turchetto, head of the EU arms embargo surveillance mission, or Operation Irini, the report acknowledges the \u201cexcessive use of force\u201d by Libyan authorities, adding that EU training is \u201cno longer fully followed\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The European Commission and the EU\u2019s External Action Service declined to comment on the report.<\/p>\n<p>But spokesman Peter Stano confirmed the EU is determined to train coast guard personnel and bolster Libya\u2019s capacity to manage a massive search-and-rescue area of the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n<p>The EU training programme \u201cremains firmly on the table to increase the capacity of the Libyan authorities to save lives at sea,\" Stano said.<\/p>\n<h2>Criticism of EU migration policies grows<\/h2><p>Hundreds of thousands of migrants hoping to reach Europe have made their way through Libya, where a lucrative trafficking and smuggling business has flourished in a country without a functioning government, fragmented for years between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments.<\/p>\n<p>The EU report acknowledges \u201cthe political stalemate\u201d in Libya has hindered Europe&#039;s training programme, noting that the country&#039;s internal divisions make it difficult to obtain political support for enforcing \"proper behavioural standards ... compliant with human rights, especially when dealing with irregular migrants\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Criticism of EU&#039;s migration policies has been growing. At least three requests have been filed to the International Criminal Court demanding that Libyan and European officials, as well as traffickers, militiamen, and others be investigated for crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n<p>A UN inquiry published in October also found evidence that abuses committed in Libya may amount to crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for countries to \u201cre-examine policies that support interception at sea and return of refugees and migrants to Libya.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stano dismissed those criticisms. \u201cWhen it comes to migration, our objective is to save peoples\u2019 lives, protect those in need and fight trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling,\u201d Stano said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//06//42//26//10//808x539_cmsv2_883a7e6d-d93f-5269-a666-aebd59d38eec-6422610.jpg/" alt=\"Matthias Schrader\/Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/384x256_cmsv2_883a7e6d-d93f-5269-a666-aebd59d38eec-6422610.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/640x427_cmsv2_883a7e6d-d93f-5269-a666-aebd59d38eec-6422610.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/750x500_cmsv2_883a7e6d-d93f-5269-a666-aebd59d38eec-6422610.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/828x552_cmsv2_883a7e6d-d93f-5269-a666-aebd59d38eec-6422610.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/1080x720_cmsv2_883a7e6d-d93f-5269-a666-aebd59d38eec-6422610.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/1200x800_cmsv2_883a7e6d-d93f-5269-a666-aebd59d38eec-6422610.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/1920x1280_cmsv2_883a7e6d-d93f-5269-a666-aebd59d38eec-6422610.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Migrants are transferd by Italian sailors from the German combat supply ship &apos;Frankfurt am Main&apos; to the their ship &apos;Grecale&apos; after being rescued off the coast of libya<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Matthias Schrader\/Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Human rights defenders and asylum seekers disagree.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Europeans pretend to show the good face,\u201d said a Cameroonian woman who arrived in Libya in 2016 with her child thinking she would find work. Instead, she was trafficked and forced into prostitution after being separated from her daughter.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018 she got on a smuggler\u2019s boat bound for Europe but her group was caught by Libyan authorities and taken to the notorious Tajoura detention centre where detainees were beaten and abused.<\/p>\n<p>She was only released after a friend paid a \u20ac620 ransom to the guards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re calling it saving lives? How is it saving lives when those lives are tortured after being saved?\" the woman, who remained anonymous as a victim of trafficking, asked.<\/p>\n<h2>No changes on the ground<\/h2><p>Questioned about the detention centres in Libya, Stano said the EU\u2019s position is clear: \"They are unacceptable. The current arbitrary detention system must end.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But despite such assertions, nothing has changed on the ground. The Libyan government last month named Mohammed Al-Khoja, a militia leader implicated in abuses against migrants, to head the Department for Combating Irregular Migration, which oversees the detention centres.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe same people in charge of dismantling the trafficking business are the traffickers themselves,\u201d said Violeta Moreno-Lax, founder of the immigration law program at Queen Mary University of London.<\/p>\n<p>The EU report noted the \u201cexcessive use of physical force\u201d by a Libyan patrol during the 15 September interception of a wooden boat with about 20 migrants off the coast of Libya.<\/p>\n<p>The Libyan forces used tactics \"never observed before and not in compliance with [EU] training [\u2026] as well as international regulation,\u201d said the report. It provided no further details about what exactly happened.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesman for the Libyan coast guard did not respond to AP requests for comment about that incident or the EU report.<\/p>\n<p>In the past, Libyan interior ministry and coast guard officials have said they are doing their best with limited resources in a country plagued by years of civil war.<\/p>\n<p>Frontex, the European coast guard and border agency that documented the 15 September interception said it had filed a \u201cserious incident report\u201d but could not disclose details.<\/p>\n<p>Ozlem Demirel, a German Left party member of the European Parliament, said the report offered \"further evidence that there should be no cooperation with this force\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fact that Irini is even seeking further training is, in my view, outrageous,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2>455 million euros further earmarked for Libya<\/h2><p>Violent tactics employed by Libyan authorities at sea have been widely documented for years. Last week, activists on a volunteer rescue ship reported seeing a Libyan patrol vessel \u201cshooting at a person who had jumped into the water\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Some \u20ac455 million have been earmarked for Libya since 2015 through the EU&#039;s Trust Fund for Africa, substantial amounts of which have gone to finance migration and border management.<\/p>\n<p>However, huge sums have been diverted to networks of militiamen and traffickers who exploit migrants, according to a 2019 AP investigation. Coast guard members are also complicit, turning migrants intercepted at sea over to detention centres under deals with militias or demanding payoffs to let others go.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6614542611415168\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//06//42//26//10//808x535_cmsv2_e514b72f-684e-553e-b519-36559d2ec6ed-6422610.jpg/" alt=\"Nicolae Dumitrache\/Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/384x254_cmsv2_e514b72f-684e-553e-b519-36559d2ec6ed-6422610.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/640x423_cmsv2_e514b72f-684e-553e-b519-36559d2ec6ed-6422610.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/750x496_cmsv2_e514b72f-684e-553e-b519-36559d2ec6ed-6422610.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/828x548_cmsv2_e514b72f-684e-553e-b519-36559d2ec6ed-6422610.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/1080x714_cmsv2_e514b72f-684e-553e-b519-36559d2ec6ed-6422610.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/1200x794_cmsv2_e514b72f-684e-553e-b519-36559d2ec6ed-6422610.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/1920x1270_cmsv2_e514b72f-684e-553e-b519-36559d2ec6ed-6422610.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The Italian Navy Giuseppe Garibaldi light aircraft carrier sails on the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Sicily<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Nicolae Dumitrache\/Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>EU money, much of it funnelled through Italy, has been used to train staff and refurbish boats for Libyan authorities. The Libyan coast guard also received satellite phones and uniforms and will get three new patrol vessels in the next two years.<\/p>\n<p>To intercept the small unseaworthy migrant boats in the Mediterranean, Libyan authorities also depend on surveillance gathered and shared by European drones, aircraft, and radar. But even then the political chaos in the country often impacts search-and-rescue operations.<\/p>\n<p>Irregular migration from North Africa to Italy and Malta spiked in 2021 after a drop in 2020 largely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Crossings on the central Mediterranean accounted for one-third of all reported illegal border-crossings into Europe, according to Frontex.<\/p>\n<p>But as departures increased, so did interceptions. Last year, the Libyan coast guard picked up and returned to Libya more than 32,000 migrants, nearly triple the number for 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Yet despite all the equipment and training provided to Libya to save lives, more than 1,500 people died or went missing last year, the highest death toll since 2017.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1643110954,"updatedAt":1643116176,"publishedAt":1643116170,"firstPublishedAt":1643116176,"lastPublishedAt":1643116176,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Libyan Coast Guard via AP","altText":"African migrants who were on boats in distress in the Mediterranean on their way to Europe, and rescued by the Libyan coast guard arrive to shore, east of the capital, Tripoli","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"African migrants who were on boats in distress in the Mediterranean on their way to Europe, and rescued by the Libyan coast guard arrive to shore, east of the capital, Tripoli","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/42\/26\/10\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d8241924-2393-58fa-ba89-14380bac4225-6422610.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Nicolae Dumitrache\/Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. 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