Minister insists Libya needs ‘adequate weaponry’ to fight terrorism, IS threat

Libya needs an arms embargo to be lifted to be able to fight terrorism and militants pledging loyalty to the Islamic State, Libyan foreign minister Mohammed al-Dairi said.

“We don’t like to have enormous quantities of arms [in people’s hands] but we would like to have the adequate weaponry to assist Libya to fight terrorism,” al-Dairi told BBC in an interview.

While the international community has taken a step back, opting to give diplomatic talks among warring factions a second chance, Egypt and Libya have asked the United Nations to lift an arms embargo. However, not many countries are keen on agreeing to the lifting of the ban: following the 2011 revolution, the country was awash with weapons in the hands of militias and citizens.

Al-Dairi said Libya, currently relying on the support of a few Arab nations, needed further support from the international community. Since Egypt intervened in Libya following the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians by ISIS, Cairo is taking an active role to address the security concerns in the region, with Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri backing Libya’s call for the arms embargo to be lifted.

However, many countries including Italy, the US and the UK have been pushing for a diplomatic solution, in the hope that the IS threat may bring factions closer.

Al-Dairi called on the international community “to pay Libya the adequate attention it requires”, not least because of the rising IS threat and the recent attacks against the Tripoli Corinthia Hotel, the beheading of the 21 Egyptians and Friday’s suicide bomb attacks that left 40 people dead.

“We are grieved in Libya, really feeling a sense of urgency as to the international community’s response,” the Libyan minister told BBC.

Al-Dairi acknowledged that for the international community, a national unity government in Libya was imperative before any UN-led intervention could take place. He added that his government – the Tobruk-based House of Representatives – “would like to engage positively in talks”. “We are not in control of Tripoli and I think that it is a sad state of affairs,” he admitted.

Asked what would happen if the presence of ISIS in the North African country became stronger, al-Dairi said it would only strengthen the Libyan’s resolve to combat terrorism.

“To achieve that end we however need the international community to step up its efforts in terms of providing the authorisation needed at the UNSC to equip Libya with the necessary weaponry to fight terrorism.”