|
Senegal's president Abdoulaye Wade arrived in Benghazi earlier this morning (Thursday, June 9) to meet with leaders of Libya's Transitional National Council (TNC). Wade, 85, one of Africa's elder statesmen, was already on record for having recognised that the TNC was Libya's "established and legitimate opposition, whose natural role - with African and international support - is to prepare republican institutions in Libya via democratic, free and transparent elections". He made this statement on the occasion of the visit to Dakar by a TNC special envoy on May 19. In a telephone call to Wade following the Dakar meeting, TNC leader Mahmoud Gibril invited Wade to Benghazi. Gibril had called to rally Wade's support at the extraordinary summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa (May 25-26). Wade's arrival in Benghazi is seen by the TNC as an important step forward to rally African support. The African Union's position on Libya has so far been less forthcoming to the TNC than that of Senegal.
Meanwhile yesterday (Wednesday, June 8) Spain's minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation Trinidad Jiménez met with the president of the TNC, Mustafa Abdeljalil, the vice president of the governing board and minister of foreign affairs, Ali El-Essawi and other members of the TNC. Speaking to the press, Jiménez said: "I'm here today to confirm that the National Transitional Council is the only legitimate representative of the Libyan people." The Spanish foreign minister travels to Abu Dhabi today, where she will participate in the Third Meeting of the Contact Group on Libya. Read the official Spanish communiqué.
On Tuesday (June 7) Russian presidential envoy Mikhail Margelov also met with the TNC leadership in a bid to mediate with Tripoli. Speaking to the press in Cairo, where he flew to after Benghazi, he is quoted by ITAR TASS to have said: "The Russian flag will be hoisted at the Benghazi Airport tonight together with the flags of all countries, which have supported the Libyan revolutionaries. This is a token of the respect of the National Transitional Council for the Russian stand on the fair struggle of the people of Libya for democracy, sovereignty and national unity."
Today (June 9), the UAE will host the third meeting of the Libya Contact Group in Abu Dhabi. UAE foreign minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will co-chair the meeting along with Italy's minister of foreign affairs Franco Frattini. Over 20 foreign ministers and representatives of regional and international organisations are attending. The group will review measures to guarantee support to the TNC. Parallel meetings will be held to discuss the activation of the Temporary Financial Mechanism. This will enable the TNC to receive and administer funds to meet essential expenditure for public services and basic services.Ways and means to unfreeze Libyan financial assets outside of Libya will also be discussed. For more on the TFM see Watching Libya May 17, 2011 as well as Watching Libya May 7/8, 2011 and Watching Libya May 4, 2011 below. On the urgency of getting the TFM to work see Watching Libya May 26, 2011 below. The possibility of tougher sanctions against individuals, companies and other entities that continue to break sanctions against the regime is also expected to be brought up.
|
