At UN, Libya warns of ISIL’s increasing influence, calls for unanimity to end region's crises
In his address at the annual General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly, Libya’s Acting Head of State, Agila Saleh Essa Gwaider, reported on the “overwhelming threat” posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which is hindering Libya from becoming to a transparent democracy.
“We in Libya represent a fledgling democracy seeking to find its way in order to take hold as an added value in the minds of people and to transform it into transparent, democratic, effective and stable institutions,” said Mr. Gwaider.
However, he noted that the spread of weapons and armed groups – some of which turned to criminal and terrorist behaviour, in addition to those that exploited the situation because of personal interests – has resulted in the spread of chaos in the country and has weakened central authority.
He said that over the past year, Libya has witnessed the emergence of ISIL, or Da’esh, which asserts control over the towns of Derna and Sirte, aiming to secure them as bases from which to impose its will on the rest of the country, in addition to exploiting the area’s resources.
“This entity aims at stretching from Mauritania to Bangladesh and making the whole region subject to the law of the jungle, claiming it as the ‘Rule of Islam’. This ideology is totally rejected and resisted by the Libyan people with all power available under the leadership of the legitimate authorities, represented in the elected House of Representatives, and the government emanating from it,” he underscored.
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