Protests erupt in Libya over talks with Israel; PM’s residence set ablaze
Protests have erupted in Libya after Israel said its foreign minister had met with his Libyan counterpart despite the two countries having no formal diplomatic links.
Libyan media reported this on Monday.
Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibeh suspended foreign minister Najla Mangoush after she met with Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, news portal al-Wasat Gate reported.
Meanwhile, the Libyan foreign ministry denied Ms Mangoush had held formal talks with Mr Cohen and said the meeting in Rome was a casual, non-official, and previously unprepared meeting.
In an online statement, the ministry said it fully and categorically rejected any normalisation of relations with Israel.
Under a 1957 Libyan law, dealing with Israel is punishable by law, by up to nine years in prison.
The Libyan news site Al-Wasat reported on Monday, citing security circles that the foreign minister had meanwhile flown to Turkey on a government plane.
The source added that the minister left the airport with the help of the Internal Security Agency.
The parliament based in eastern Libya called for an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss what it termed as the “legal and ethical crime against the Libyan people,’’ referring to the reported encounter.
Protesters reportedly set fire to the residence of Mr Dbeibeh and called for his resignation on Sunday night.
It was not immediately clear if Mr Dbeibeh was at the residence.
Libya has been in turmoil since the overthrow of dictator Moamer Gaddafi in 2011.
Countless militias are still fighting for power and influence in the oil-rich country.
The conflict is further fuelled by foreign governments.
Currently, two rival factions are fighting for power in Libya.
(dpa/NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Uncategorized
It could take 80 years to rebuild Gaza homes Israeli military destroyed: UN
Assuming that a minimum of 992 houses were built annually, the United Nations has projected that it would take at least 80 years to reconstruct the homes and infrastructure destroyed by the Israeli
Economy
Naira falters again, losing value by 0.8% against dollar
At the Investor’s and Exporter’s (I&E) window, the naira traded between 1,445.00 and N1,299.42 against the dollar.
Health
WHO inaugurates vaccination in Niger to contain meningitis epidemic
Unlike previous jabs, the new meningitis vaccine is single-dose and protects against five strains of the infection.
Agriculture
UNESCO advocates access to scientific information to protect earth
UNESCO has called for access to reliable scientific information to protect the planet and mitigate the effects of climate change globally.
World
Putin’s Russia using chemical weapons to attack Ukrainian soldiers: U.S.
Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, condemned the accusations and called them “odious and unsubstantiated.”
States
Uzodimma promises uninterrupted electricity supply as Imo businesses collapse, unemployment rises
“There is absolutely limited or even no supply; businesses are dying every day, and people are losing every day with the unemployment market swelling every day,” Mr Uzodimma said.