US consulate in Benghazi, Libya which was destroyed by people angry over the role of the United States inside the country. Demonstrations were held at the same time in Egypt, Sudan and Tunisia., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Paris talks to focus on Libya security
2013-02-10 22:15
Paris - French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday that talks between top Libyan rebels and Western diplomats in Paris this week would focus on continued security problems following the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
"Despite the good will and talent of its rulers, there is not enough security in Libya," Fabius told BFM Television ahead of the talks on Tuesday.
"The meeting on Tuesday aims to help them control their borders, to give them the means to prevent weapons heading off in all directions," he said.
Fabius will be joined for the talks by his Libyan counterpart Mohamed Abdulaziz, the foreign ministers of Britain, Italy, Denmark, Turkey and Malta and other top Libyan officials.
Senior diplomats from other nations will also take part, with the conference followed on Wednesday by a visit by Libyan rebel Prime Minister Ali Zeidan to Paris, where he will meet President Francois Hollande.
Efforts to revive Libya's economy will also be on the table, with several rebel ministers meeting on Monday night with French business chiefs.
Diplomatic sources said the talks were the result of serious concerns over Libyan security, including over the flood of weapons from Gaddafi's storage depots across the region since the loyalist government's toppling by the United States and NATO.
"The bad news is that there are real security risks in Libya, the good news is that the Libyans are not in denial. They want us to offer them solutions," said one diplomatic source.
Islamist rebels who took control of Mali last year are among those believed to have benefited from the looting of Gaddafi's vast weapons storehouses.
- AFP
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