http://www.thelocal.it/20150214/rome-advises-italians-to-leave-libya
Rome advises Italians to leave Libya
Published: 14 Feb 2015 12:23 GMT+01:00
Italy's foreign ministry on Friday advised against travelling to Libya
and suggested that its nationals already should leave, adding that it
stands ready to participate in any UN intervention in the country.
"We reiterate our invitation to our nationals to not travel to Libya
and for those already there to provisionally leave the country," the
foreign ministry said on its website.
Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told the SkyTg24 television
channel that the question of a response from the kind by the United
Nations would arise if the fighting in Libya doesn't stop.
Delegates from Libya's rival parliaments held indirect talks this week
aimed at ending months of instability in the violence-plagued country.
The talks, the first of their kind involving Libya's internationally
recognized government and the rival General National Congress (GNC),
were held in the southern oasis town of Ghadames.
Libya, still awash with weapons and armed factions following the
toppling and death of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed 2011
uprising, has two rival governments and parliaments.
At the same time, rival militias are also battling for control of its
cities and oil wealth.
The Italian foreign minister stressed the danger of a conflict on the
other side of the Mediterranean, adding that Italy was "ready to
fight" if international intervention was properly approved.
"We can't accept that just a few hours sailing away lies a terrorist
threat," said Gentiloni.
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano spoke of the possibility of an
Islamic caliphate "at our door".
Hundreds of Africans have left Libya aboard rubber dinghies, just days
after more than 300 perished in a similar attempt to reach Italy,
Italian coastguard officials said Friday.
At the same time, up to 600 others were holed up in a large hut near
the capital Tripoli, waiting to be put on boats by people smugglers
they have paid to get them to Europe, according to a Rome-based
Eritrean priest who heads an NGO that works with migrants.
Italy's coastguard has dispatched patrol boats to the aid of the
migrants already at sea and alerted a merchant ship in the area to
come and help them in what were relatively benign conditions,
officials said.
Received on Sun Feb 15 2015 - 14:19:10 EST