Libya has reportedly threatened to expel Lebanese nationals if Beirut decided to boycott the Arab League summit in Tripoli, Al-Liwaa newspaper reported Tuesday. The paper said that the Libyan government is closely following up developments of the Lebanese stance regarding its participation in the Arab League summit scheduled to be held in Tripoli later this month.
Al-Liwaa sources have reportedly told the paper that “painful step-by-step measures to be taken include a decision to expel Lebanese nationals working and living in Libya, who number about 20,000.”
Libya’s strongman Mummar Gaddafi has been blamed for the disappearance of Imam Moussa Sadr, founder of the Shiite Amal Movement , who disappeared in 1978 along with two companions after departing to Libya for talks with government officials.
Speaker Nabih Berri the current leader of Amal movement has called for boycotting the summit in Libya, but according to Arab League Chief Amr Moussa , Lebanon has notified him of its intention to attend but has not so far indicated at what level .
Since it is in Libya’s and Lebanon’s interest to protect the Lebanese expatriate community in Libya …which has for years played a major role in developing the infrastructure of Libya , diplomacy is required here to find a way out of the impasse. The Arab league should perhaps step in and form a committee that will be charged with the investigation of the disappearance of Sadr . The committee should then report its findings to the Arab league and a settlement then should be worked out between Lebanon and Libya .
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.