3 killed as Libyan army clashes with Islamist militants

By -
Clashes between Libyan troops and militants in the eastern city of Benghazi on Monday killed at least three people and wounded dozens during a military operation, officials have said.
Libya's new military, which is still in training, is struggling to curb Islamist militants and militias who fought in the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi but have refused to disarm.
Reports indicate that the development presents a delicate situation as the militants and militias control parts of the country.
However, security and medical officials on Monday said gunfire and explosions could be heard in Benghazi while thick smoke rose from the Ras Obeida area.
The army has since ordered residents to stay off the city streets, witnesses said.
Benghazi city security officials said fighting broke out when an army Special Forces Unit pursued a suspect into an area where Islamist militant group Ansar al-Sharia operates its own checkpoints.
Ansar al-Sharia was blamed for the attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi a year ago, when the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed.
The chaos in Libya is worrying its neighbours and the western powers which backed the 2011 uprising.
The uprising had led to the fall of Gaddafi two years ago in one of the Arab Spring revolts.
The Prime Minister, Ali Zeidan, who was briefly abducted by a militia last month, met U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague in London on Sunday.
The meeting was to discuss co-operation.
Rival militia groups withdrew from Tripoli last week after clashes killed more than 40 people when protesters marched to one of the militia bases to demand they leave the city.
Hoping to co-opt former fighters, the government had hired militia groups to provide security.
But they have remained loyal to their commanders or tribes, and often clash in disputes over territory or personal feuds.
The U.S. military, Britain, France, NATO and Turkey have all promised aid for the OPEC country's armed forces.
But most of the programmes are just beginning and the military is still no match for the armed groups.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UBTH @50: Obaseki hails institution’s role in strengthening Edo healthcare

By -
Image
(Nigeria) Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, has commended the staff and management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, for their unwavering commitment, dedication, and hard work in providing high-quality healthcare services to the people of Edo State and Nigeria in the past fifty years. Obaseki, at a dinner organized in honour of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Nigeria, at the Government House, Benin City, reassured the government’s continuous partnership and collaboration with the federal government-owned health institution to strengthen the health system and ensure quality health delivery to Edo people. The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Philip Shaibu, reeled out the gains of the government’s reforms in the health sector, commending the medical centre for bolstering the government’s efforts at transforming Edo State into a health hub. He said, "We came into a wilderness where you have to cut a part for yourself and fix it. We held...
Read more

Osun: S'Court ruling affirmed power resides with the people - Diri

By -
Image
*Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri (Nigeria) Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said the ruling of the country’s apex court on the Osun State governorship election was an affirmation that power in a democracy resided with the people. Governor Diri, while congratulating Senator Ademola Adeleke in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, on Wednesday, expressed joy that the Supreme Court sealed the mandate freely given to the governor by the Osun people. The Bayelsa governor also said the verdict reflected the current mood of the country where those whose stock-in-trade is to promote electoral violence and subvert the will of the people have no place in our electoral system. He expressed the hope that introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, will instil more confidence in the electoral process, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deepen Nigeria’s democracy by also introducing electronic votin...
Read more

NBC has no powers to impose fine on broadcast stations --Court

By -
Image
(Nigeria) The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has been restrained by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. Trial judge in the matter, Justice James Omotosho also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations. The court made the orders in its judgment a suit by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, MRA, which had sued the NBC. Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations. The court further held that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law. He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law. He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at...
Read more