Alarming UN Report Highlights Proliferation of Weapons in Libya
LinkedIn
Print
Since the Libyan Revolution an alarming number of loose weapons have saturated Libyan society according to a recent report issued by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
Many weapons warehouses holding a wide variety of illicit firearms have been discovered all over Libya. The weapons include antipersonnel weapons, mines, bombs or heavy weapons such as the antiaircraft cannons which threaten the civil air navigation. The report also stated that Libya “has accumulated the largest known stockpile of Manpads, of any non-Manpad-producing country.”
Those weapons were abandoned by Qadaffi’s security forces, especially at the last days of the regime. However, important components of weapons have been stolen and weapons in Libya are now accessible to all levels of civilians in Libyan society; they are now in the hands of men, women, children, and especially teenagers.
Meanwhile, the Libyan police are unwilling to restart work with the exception of some traffic police units in cities such as Tripoli. However the police are only willing to play a limited role such as organizing traffic on large streets. The Police are not controlling the borders and border agents have turned into merely administrative officials; they have been stamping passports and refusing persons who do not follow Visa procedures.
The rebel fighters have taken control of the country but not all of them have been trained to work in good faith for their country or for neighboring countries.
Some rebels have sold important stocks of weapons that may end up in the hands of terror groups. Other weapons have been smuggled to neighboring countries for financial profits. In that context, the UN report mentioned: “Although thousands (of these weapons) were destroyed during the seven-month NATO operations, there are increasing concerns over the looting and likely proliferation of these portable defense systems, as well as ammunitions and mines, highlighting the potential risk to local and regional stability.” This has raised fears among some Tunisian people who wonder how Tunisian authorities can do more to ensure the national security of Tunisia.
Mr. Riadh Nwicer, Tunisia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the proliferation of weapons is a Libyan national concern which he cannot interfere in. He added that the Libyan National Transitional Council recognizes the sensitivity of the situation, and it is doing its best to collect widespread weapons in Libyan society.
He also pointed out that terrorist groups may attempt entering Tunisia with weapons the Tunisian authorities have banned, and stressed that the authorities will act by enhancing security measures in airports and enforcing strict monitoring procedures over land borders.
