Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/358967
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 6 AuguSt 2014 3 News Maltese urged to exit Libya Contiues froM page 1 The gov- ernment has informed all Maltese citizens in Libya to have all docu- ments in place and prepare to leave the strife-torn country. To date, the number of Maltese citizens in Tripoli, Benghazi and the oil fields number over 100. However, Cutajar said that the list of Maltese nationals in Libya "repeatedly increases" because of a number of Maltese passport hold- ers are turning up with their fami- lies, who would not be registered at the embassy. He explained that Malta has now raised its travel advice by a notch to one of assisted departure. Although this does not equate to an official evacuation, Maltese citizens in Tripoli, Benghazi and in the oil fields scattered around the Libyan desert are being advised to go to the two airports from where a flight will be leaving for Malta from each. He also said that the crisis cen- tre at the foreign office has been in contact with the Maltese in Libya to coordinate their departure, add- ing that following talks with India and the Philippines, arrangements were in place for Maltese citizens to also leave Libya by sea. The principal permanent secre- tary said that other EU member states have not declared an evacu- ation and the government's travel advice was similar to that issued by other European countries. He explained that Malta and Ita- ly, the two remaining EU countries who have not suspended their dip- lomatic missions in Libya were in constant contact. However, as of today the Consu- late in Tripoli will be closed and consular services will be stopped. The advisory is not being termed an "evacuation", because Malta's diplomatic mission in Tripoli will continue operating. But the Malta consulate will be suspending op- erations as from 6 August. Maltese citizens in Libya are be- ing advised to contact the Crisis Centre which was set up on 16 July by the foreign affairs ministry if they are in need of assistance after the suspension of the diplomatic services. In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, the foreign affairs min- istry said that it was constantly monitoring the situation in Libya and confirmed that the North African country is in a dire situ- ation. "Because of the situation, weeks ago the ministry issued a travel warning and advised Maltese citi- zens in Libya to leave the coun- try." The ministry added that it would keep monitoring the situation and collaborate with a number of countries who have a presence on the ground in Libya, including Italy, the UK, the Philippines and Korea. Government in contact with oil workers On Monday, Saviour Brincat, a Maltese oil worker claimed that his pleas for help went unheeded for three weeks by the Maltese govern- ment and the foreign affairs min- istry. Speaking to the press at the Mal- ta International Airport in Gudja, Brincat who has been working in Libya for the past 25 years, insisted that he received no support or con- crete solutions from the Maltese government, and instead he only received "moral support." "I have been trying to get out of the Libyan desert for three weeks, but to no avail. All I was offered was moral support. The Maltese government, the foreign affairs ministry, or the crisis centre only told me to wait, and said that they would try to get me out. I received no other help," he said. However, principal permanent secretary Mario Cutajar denied that government had abandoned workers in Libya and explained that in the space of one week, 13 emails were sent in a communication be- tween government and Brincat. Cutajar said that in the emails, Brincat was cordial and even ex- pressed concern on his colleagues. Brincat, who works for oil com- pany Nageco, explained that was living 1,000 km away from Tripo- li, and about 100km away from Brega. "Since 15th July, I have been in constant contact with the Mal- tese authorities, I have sent several emails and have called them nu- merous times. However, I was not offered any concrete solutions as to how I am going to get out of the desert." "When you are in the desert, you have to book a flight at least three days before, but because of Eid, the flights were cancelled. I only man- aged to arrive in Malta out of my own will, and after catching three flights," he said. Moreover, Brincat said that the tension in the Libyan desert is escalating, and that roads in and around the desert are very danger- ous and strive with gunshots and fighting militia. New Libyan parliament In a separate statement, the for- eign affairs minister George Vella expressed his "satisfaction" at the inauguration of the new Libyan Parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk. On Monday, Libya's newly elected parliament called for national uni- ty at its first formal session as rival armed factions battled for domi- nance of a country struggling to hold itself together three years af- ter the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Even as the new Parliament met, heavy artillery and rocket fire hit parts of southern and western Tripoli, where Misrata brigades are fighting to oust rival Zintani fight- ers from the international airport. The House of Representatives, elected in May, gathered in an at- tempt to set a political framework, and guide Libya out of the pit of violence that has raged for weeks in certain parts of the country. Vella augured that this would be the first step towards establishing democracy, peace and tranquillity in Libya. Libya is in the grip of its worst vi- olence since the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi and thousands are fleeing the violence into neighbouring Tu- nisia. With Tripoli becoming a battle- field over the past two weeks, an estimated 6,000 Libyans have fled to Tunisia each day and the Libyan health ministry also estimated that more than 200 people have been killed in the fighting. With its national army still being formed, the country has struggled to control heavily armed factions that have entrenched themselves as de facto power brokers in the tran- sition since Gaddafi's overthrow. Complicating Libya's security, in Benghazi an alliance of Islamist fighters and ex-rebels have joined together to battle Libyan armed forces, seizing a special forces mili- tary base last week and pushing the army outside of the city. Britain was closing its embassy operations on Monday, one of the last foreign governments to pull its diplomatic staff, following the evacuation of the United States and the United Nations after the fight- ing erupted in Tripoli. A Royal Navy ship on Sunday evacuated more than 100 British citizens, Libyan families and some foreign nationals to Malta. mdalli@mediatoday.com.mt EGyPT and Algeria are consid- ering a joint military operation in Libya to prevent the rise of Is- lamic State (ISIS) fighters in their increasingly unstable neighbour, an Algerian newspaper reported Sunday. According to Sunday's editorial in the Algerian Al-Watan, Alge- rian President Abdelaziz Boutef- lika is "worried" about the threats from its eastern borders. It pointed out that Bouteflika is "prepared to wage a war against Jihadists in the region", Middle East Monitor said in a report. In another report, the chairman of Egypt's 2014 Constitutional Committee, Amr Moussa, said in press statements that the situation in Libya was becoming a source of "grave concern" for Egypt and Lib- ya's neighbouring countries, point- ing out that the "mini-states, sects and extremist factions" in Libya constitute a direct threat to Egypt's national security. Moussa called for a broad-based discussion in Egypt "to raise the public's awareness regarding the present dangers," and to build the required support for any potential Egyptian decision to "exercise its right to self-defence". At least 23 Egyptian nationals were killed in Libya last week after a property housing Egyptian work- ers was shelled amid the ongoing fighting between rival militants in Libya. According to the Libyan ambas- sador to Egypt, who spoke to the Daily News Egypt, there are 1.6 million Egyptian expats in Libya. yesterday, thousands of Egyp- tian nationals fleeing the unrest in Libya were evacuated by planes from Djerba airport to Cairo air- port after Tunisian border guards denied them entry to Tunisia, AFP reported. Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister, Hossam Kamal said: "1,796 peo- ple had been taken to Djerba and another 1,355 were scheduled to be transferred there on Sunday, when five flights to Egypt were planned." A new Agusta Westland AW139 helicopter will be unveiled today by home affairs minister Manuel Mallia, at the Armed Forces of Malta's Air Wing Base. The €18 million helicop- ter was part-financed by EU funds, with the AFM fronting 20% of the cost and the Maltese govern- ment paying another €3 million. The helicopter will be housed in a new hangar al- so financed under EU border funds. The new machine doubles the cur- rent range of border control missions from 60 nautical miles to 120 nauti- cal miles, with shorter travel times to operational areas. Apart from enhancing the ability to intervene in border control missions through the carriage of additional troops, the aircraft will also be able to carry out night operations thanks to a FLIR High Definition passive cam- era that collects Infra-Red (IR) and visible light for detection, recogni- tion and identification allowing crew members to see in total darkness. The addition of the aircraft to Mal- ta's air wing will provide increased range and speed, and allow its crew to 'see in the dark' through night vi- sion equipment. "This translates into the ability to find a person in difficulties, floating in the water at night, using infra-red, a far cry from what rescuers had at their disposal in the heroic rescue carried in February 2013, when they risked their lives rescuing a missing diver off Dwejra in darkness," home affairs minister Manuel Mallia told MaltaToday. Mallia said that besides enhancing the air wing's role in rescue opera- tions involving migrants risking the Mediterranean crossing from Africa to mainland Europe, it will also be a source of comfort to divers and fish- ermen. "Knowing that just a three-digit phone call or a radio-squawk away, there is this helicopter, manned by trained and competent AFM per- sonnel, ready to come to the rescue, makes for much greater peace of mind." The parliamentary secretary for EU funding, Ian Borg, worked to ensure the completion of the project through the EU Border Fund, from where the bulk of the financing of this helicop- ter was drawn. Reports suggest Egypt and Algeria considering military operation in Libya New army helicopter enhances rescue capability Agusta Westland AW139 Foreign nationals have been flocking to the Mitiga air base outside Tripoli to exit Libya