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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Mon Feb 21 2011 - 10:13:13 EST
http://www.euractiv.com/en/global-europe/eu-scrambles-evacuate-nationals-libya-news-502361
EU
scrambles to evacuate nationals from Libya
Published: 21 February 2011
France, Britain and Spain have started repatriating their nationals from
Libya as clashes there intensify, while EU foreign ministers are meeting in
Brussels to coordinate Europe's response.
Background
As violence in Libya continues to spread, EU foreign policy chief Catherine
Ashton has condemned repression there and appealed for "dialogue".
Libya has told the European Union it will stop cooperating on illegal
migration if the EU continues to encourage pro-democracy protests in the
country, the bloc's Hungarian Presidency said on Sunday (20 February).
In recent years oil-rich Libya has gradually been improving its relations
with the West.
Tripoli paid compensation for the Lockerbie bombing and was able to
repatriate the sentenced perpetrator of the terrorist attack, Abdelbaset Ali
al-Megrahi, "on compassionate grounds" as he is said to be suffering from
prostate cancer. Megrahi's
release<http://www.euractiv.com/foreign-affairs/uk-government-embroiled-lockerbie-row/article-184775>
unleashed
a storm of protest across the world.
Speaking in Brussels today (21 February), UK Foreign Secretary William Hague
said Britain expected Libya to ensure the protection of foreigners.
"We want to see proper protection for foreign nationals in Libya and in
particular assistance for them as they are trying to leave the country,"
Hague said as he arrived for a meeting of European Union foreign ministers
in Brussels on Monday (21 February).
"Those who are able to leave safely should leave by commercial means. That
situation is constantly under review. We will assess the needs for
evacuations as things progress," he said.
Two European oil companies, BP and Statoil, began pulling employees out of
Libya today, while Portugal sent a plane to pick up its citizens and other
EU nationals, according to a report in USA Today. Meanwhile, Turkey sent a
sent two ferries to pick up stranded construction workers.
"We are extremely concerned, we are coordinating the possible evacuation of
EU citizens coming from Libya, especially from Benghazi," said Trinidad
Jimenez, Spain's foreign minister.
Laurent Wauquiez, French secretary of state for European affairs, said Paris
had already organised the repatriation of 46 nationals from the Eastern city
of Benghazi to the capital Tripoli.
"The top priority is safety," he told journalists in Brussels. "Our embassy
is also trying to assist people who leave Libya by their own means."
*EU will not tolerate 'blackmail'*
But he said the evacuation procedures were being "complicated by the fact
that Libyan authorities are imposing an exit visa" on foreigners attempting
to leave the country.
"In this context, what is recommended is to avoid all gatherings," Wauquiez
said, adding that it was "very strongly recommended to avoid taking pictures
or films in order to avoid exposure to dangerous situations".
Wauquiez urged those living in the eastern part of Libya to exercise
particular caution. "We recommend French residents in Cyrenaica – or those
travelling in the area – to leave this region."
The Frenchman rejected threats by Tripoli, voiced yesterday, to suspend
cooperation with the EU on stemming illegal migration to the bloc if the
Union encourages pro-democracy protests in Libya.
"There should not be any state blackmail," Wauquiez warned. "And it is clear
that Europe will not stop expressing itself."
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