The Government is stepping up efforts to deal with threats
posed to the UK from Libya as the Foreign Secretary makes his
second visit to the country in less than six months.
The Foreign Secretary has been in Tripoli today where he
met with the Libyan Prime Minister, Fayyez Al-Serraj, to discuss
what more the UK can do to support the Government of National
Accord and the UN-led political process to help stabilise
Libya.
The Foreign Secretary also outlined a package of additional
support to help Libya deal with the terrorist threat and to
tackle illegal migration. This includes:
· £3
million to remove improvised explosive devices from Sirte,
following the success in pushing Daesh out of the city earlier
this year.
· £1million
to fund demining training across Libya, including in Sirte and
Benghazi.
· £1million
to help rebuild critical infrastructure and restore basic public
services through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The UK has already contributed £1.5million to the UNDP since
2016.
· £2.75
million to support women’s participation in peacemaking and
rebuilding Libya.
· £1.29
million of new UK aid funding over the next two years to support
displaced people with food, essential hygiene items and urgent
healthcare needs.
The Government has also agreed to increase its engagement
with the Libyan law enforcement authorities to tackle organised
crime and trafficking, building on the work the UK is already
doing with European partners to strengthen the ability of the
Libyan Coastguard to secure its own borders in a manner which
respects international law.
During his visit to Tripoli, the Foreign Secretary met with
the Libyan Naval Coastguard to hear about their UK training.
Delivered by the Royal Navy, training has focussed on activities
such as search and rescue, boarding and inspecting vessels, human
rights and the treatment of migrants.
Speaking from Tripoli, the Foreign Secretary said:
"Libya is the front line for many challenges which left
unchecked can pose problems for us in the UK - particularly
illegal migration and the threat from terrorism."
“That’s why it is so important that we work with the
Libyan government and our partners to help bring stability to
Libya, stopping it from becoming a fertile ground for terrorists,
gun runners and people traffickers in close proximity to
Europe.
“This means supporting the new UN Representative and
the political process, but it also means practical efforts too
– including the new kit we are providing to make Sirte safer
for Libyans and the work we are doing to ensure that the Libyan
coastguard can secure their own borders, reducing the number of
illegal migrants heading for Europe.”
During his visit, the Foreign Secretary met with Libyan
Prime Minister Fayyez Al-Serraj, Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala
and the President of Libya’s High State Council Abdurrahman
Swehli. Mr Johnson underlined the importance of Libya’s different
political and social groups working together to overcome the
current political conflict.
The meetings in Libya followed talks in Tunis on Tuesday
evening with Ghassan Salamé, the new United Nations Special
Representative on Libya. The UK believes the appointment of Mr
Salamé presents an opportunity to break the political deadlock
and build momentum towards amending the Libyan Political
Agreement so that it delivers for all Libyans.
While in Tunis, the Foreign Secretary met with senior
members of the Tunisian government, including Tourism Minister
Salma Elloumi to discuss how we can strengthen security and
economic ties between the UK and Tunisia, particularly following
the recent decision to no longer advise against travel to most of
the country.
The Foreign Secretary also visited the Bardo Museum, to pay
respects those who died in the terrorist attack there in
2015.
After the visit, the Foreign Secretary said:
“Tunisia has made great strides in its democratic
transition since the revolution of 2011. I particularly applaud
its promotion of women’s rights and gender equality, including
the ground-breaking new law on violence against
women.
“Tunisian security improvements, supported in part
through UK assistance, meant we could change our travel advice
last month. The UK is a steadfast partner for Tunisia in building
its prosperity and security, and combating terrorism, and I look
forward to even stronger ties between us.”
