The Minister of Local Government of Presidential Council, Badad Qansu, said that some municipalities need new elections for municipal councils, since the four-year terms of the current councils will conclude in early 2018. He pointed out that his ministry had referred all the procedures related to the local elections to the Presidential Council. Qansu indicated that municipalities need government allocations of fund in order to provide services to citizens in all areas, and that the provisions of the first and second sections, which are salaries, expenses and emergencies are insufficient to implement new projects and plans that would resolve the urgent issues. He added that his ministry is holding meetings with the municipalities on an ongoing basis to develop practical solutions to the obstacles facing them and to develop future plans for the municipalities to provide essential services to citizens.
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A Sudanese girl died in a landmine explosion in Al-Sabri district of Benghazi on Friday. Head of information office at Al-Jalaa Hospital, Fadia Al-Barghathi, said that the girl arrived at the hospital with shrapnel wounds in her body. She was rushed to the ICU immediately where doctors battled to save her life. She later died after hours of her arrival due for her weak body that couldn't survive her critical condition.
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Libyan Coast Guard rescued 209 illegal immigrants off Garabulli coast, some 60km east of Tripoli, on Friday. Libyan Navy spokesman, Ayoub Qasim, said the migrants were found on board two rubber boats north of Garabulli and they were of different Arab and African nationalities, including 23 women and 28 children. Qasim added that the rescue operation was carried out in two stages. One was conducted by Sabratha boat of Coast Guard personnel who managed to rescue 48 migrants while Ras Ajdir boat saved another 161, noting that the Coast Guard had referred the migrants to Tajoura shelter.
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The German Ambassador to Libya Christian Buck signed an agreement in Tunis with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Special Representative and Deputy Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Maria Ribeiro, whereby Germany would contribute one million euros to support elections in Libya. On its official website, the UNSMIL said that the German support increased the value of contributions to the Libyan election project under the auspices of the United Nations to 2.8 million euros. Germany has lately joined Netherlands, France and Italy in supporting the project, which is administrated by the United Nations Development Program in cooperation with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.
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Chairman of the Presidential Council, Fayaz Sarraj, said that the United States and Germany are both fully compliant on the Libyan constants on addressing the illegal immigration issue. In a statement to the Libyan News Agency, Sarraj said that the United States and Germany support the Libyan vision regarding the non-resettlement of illegal immigrants in Libya and the pressure being exerted on the countries of origin to repatriate their nationals. He explained that the USA is willing to support the Libyan Coast Guard; including monitoring the southern border of the country, and that Libya is open to all international and regional parties regarding the fact-finding on allegations of violations of migrants in Libya. He stressed that his government is providing the illegal immigrants at the detention centers with all the basic needs.
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Several IDPs from Tawergha protested in Al-Falah district of Tripoli on Saturday, demanding the authorities to return them back to their town after six years of displacement. Member of the Reconciliation Committee in Tawergha, Abdulnabi Abu Arrabah, said that the demonstrators wanted to direct urgent appeals to the Presidential Council and the international community to find a radical solution to their case. He added that the displaced people are living poor conditions inside Al-Falah camp not to mention the fires that break out from time to time or the flooding of camps during winter. A fire broke out at Janzour camp on Wednesday, destroying at least 13 makeshift houses. No casualties were reported.
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