UN peacekeeping force must be ready to succour failed Libyan state – PM

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has reiterated his call on the international community to have a United Nations peacekeeping force help Libya rebuild its institutions, if Libyan factions demand its help.

Muscat delivered a statement to the House of Representatives on Wednesday, warning of the consequences of a failed state in Libya where civil conflict has seen two rival governments being set up in Tripoli and the city of Tobruk.

Muscat warned of a consequential chain of events that would see a migration of people into Europe, the threat of terrorism and the prospect of energy failure if Libya keeps sliding into anarchy.

Briefed #Malta Parliament regarding Corinthia hotel attack in #Tripoli #Libya. Convened Security Committee on same subject earlier today -JM

— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) January 28, 2015

On Tuesday, the Corinthia Hotel Tripoli was attacked by a group of terrorists who could have been affiliated to the Islamic State’s branch in Libya, in which 14 people were killed. At least one of the alleged terrorists was arrested by the Tripoli authorities.

Muscat convened a meeting with the Malta Security Services and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to discuss the attack on the Corinthia Tripoli Hotel, in which his calls for a bipartisan approach to the situation was echoed by Busuttil.

“The Opposition agrees with the government that all Maltese nationals in Libya must return to Malta immediately,” Busuttil said after the prime minister evacuated 13 Maltese employees of the Corinthia Hotel to Malta and other Maltese nationals in the country.

Muscat said that the MSS could not independently verify whether the attack was mandated by the Islamic State to destabilize peace talks in Geneva between warring actions; a plot to murder rival prime minister Omar Al-Hassi who used the hotel to conduct business from; or whether the terrorists were targeting an American security company employee, namely David Berry, who was identified as having been killed in the attack.

“We know that Malta was not the target of the attack… I want to assure the public that the army, the police and the MSS are using all their resources to ensure we are living in a state of security,” Muscat said.

There were no Maltese among the victims. The Corinthia employees were evacuated to the Corinthia’s Palm City complex in Janzour, where 13 employees who work there and the Corinthia hotel’s 11 employees were once again relocated to a new safe zone.

Taking the floor, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil called for a minute of silence to remember the victims of the attack.

He confirmed his participation in a meeting of the Malta Security Services and expressed the Opposition’s support to government’s work in ensuring the security of Maltese nationals in Tripoli while safeguarding business interests.

“The Opposition encourages the government to place the fight against terrorism as a political priority. Terrorism can affect us too and we pledge our support in this fight,” he said.

Busuttil said he was satisfied that the government took all the necessary measures to ensure a safe return of the Maltese nationals to Malta. He urged any remaining Maltese to take heed of the government’s call to return to Malta.

The PN leader said nothing could be taken for granted and called on the government to ensure that national security remains of utmost concern amid concerns that ISIS was present in the neigbouring country.

“The government must double its efforts in placing the Libya crisis on the forefront of the EU agenda. The EU must dedicate more attention to the situation,” he said.