Western – 21 July 2014

Jul 21, 2014 | International actors

On 17 July, House of Representatives (HoR) Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdulaziz requested that the UN Security Council dispatch experts to train Libya’s defence forces and police to improve their ability to protect oil fields, airports and other vital sites. Given the sensitivities around the issue of sovereignty, Abdulaziz made sure to demonstrate that Libya wasn’t asking for foreign military intervention. However, his request was widely interpreted inside Libya as a call for foreign forces to wade into the deteriorating conflict. The Central Libya Shield Force and other groups condemned the HoR, insisting that there be no foreign interference. The Islamists also took the opportunity to stir anti-HoR sentiment, condemning what it referred to as an appeal to outside forces, accusing the HoR of taking sides in the conflict.