The Libyan representative at the International Customs Organization, Yusif Ibrahim, sent a letter to the Head of Organizations at the Tripoli Foreign Ministry and the General Director of Customs Department as well as the chargé d'affaires at Libya’s embassy in Brussels denouncing the appointment of a person from the EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM) to represent Libya at the “37th Session of the Enforcement Committee of the World Customs Organization (WCO).”
Ibrahim said in the letter that the meeting included topic related to the customs intelligence, which is considered a national security issue for the countries taking part in the meeting, lashing out at officials for allowing a foreigner to represent Libya.
“When asked about his title, the EUBAM employee said he was appointed by the Head of the International Cooperation Department at the Libyan Customs Department Ahmed Al-Balsous. When I also told him that I have no knowledge of his presence in the Libyan team, he called Al-Bahloul Al-Tayib, who is an employee at the International Cooperation Department at the Libyan Customs Department, who told me the EUBAM employee was appointed by Al-Balsous.” Ibrahim explained.
Ibrahim elaborated that Libya is not under a trusteeship and what Al-Balsous did is against the Libyan law and the international conventions.
“I wasn’t informed about the EUBAM employee at all and I saw him representing my country out of the blue.” Ibrahim remarked.
Meanwhile, no official statement from the foreign ministry or the customs department in Libya has been issued up until now.
