‘They came to Libya to steal our resources’

Mr Zayed Muhammed

A senior official at the Embassy of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, in Banjul, has noted that the West and its allies, particularly France, came to Libya to steal the resources of the Libyan people. 

Libya is said to be Africa's third largest oil producer, and the country had been exporting 1.6m barrels a day.

Zeyad Abulgasim Muhamed, Director of the Ambassador's Office at the Libyan Embassy, said the West came to Libya to destabilize the country with the intention of stealing the resources of the Libyan people while they are claiming to be protecting civilians.  “They are supporting the rebels, the terrorists,” he said. 

He further said:  “Libya is a sovereign country, before the West intrudes the country claiming to be protecting the people, the people should have requested for their support first.  But Libyans never called them to come and protect them.  Their agenda is to steal the resources of Libya and Africa at large.”

The Libyan rebels are now exporting oil from rebel-held areas of eastern Libya and European Union officials said the rebels are allow to export oil as long as revenues from the oil did not find their way to the Gaddafi government or state oil company.

“We are able to protect ourselves.  The West has their agenda for intruding in an independent Libya.  These are the facts on the ground and they are trying to conceal it. They just want to convince the world that Libyan people are terrorists and that Libya is a country where there is no harmony among the people,” the Libyan official said   

Brief economic impact of the uprising

Libya is on a strategic location in the international trade, it’s the gateway of Africa due its proximity to Europe.  It is a close route either by sea or air to Europe.  It is a close link between Africa and its international trading partners so there is no doubt that any conflict in Libya will have a negative impact on Africa’s international trade. 

The collapse of exports from Libya has helped drive up oil prices, which recently hit a two-and-a-half year high.

Already some countries, both within and outside Africa, are already paying of the crisis.  Countries like the Gambia is already feeling the pinch of the crisis as the prices of petroleum products continue to skyrocket and authorities continue to blame it on the international market which is also due to the short supply from Africa’s third largest oil producer.  The increment of the prices of petroleum has caused NAWEC to increase its price of electricity and Gambia National Transport Association has also increased the fares of transportation nationwide.  Prices of some basic food commodities also continue to increase.

International conspiracy against Libya

Mr Abulgasim Muhamed has noted that there is an international conspiracy against his country and that the intervention of the West is ‘illegal’.  “What is happening in Libya is purely an internal matter.  It doesn’t constitute any threat to international peace and security,” he explained.

He added that intervention of the UN Security Council and the NATO forces is illegitimate.  “The UN Charter had specified, categorically, the jurisdiction of the Security Council relating to issues that are threat to international peace and security. 

The situation in Libya does not pose any threat to international security and peace as the conflict is within the borders of the country, “how can that be a threat to international peace and security”, Mr Abulgasim Muhamed asked rhetorically. 

The Libyan official observed that the speed it has taken to mobilize the UN Security Council and the eventual release of a resolution demonstrates that there is an international conspiracy against his country. 

He explained that the uprising, in Libya, started with rebels taking up arms against the central authority.  He said this demonstrate that they are not peaceful demonstrators but they are armed people who are up to something different from what people externally seems to think. 

He said: “The Libyan government was compelled to undertake certain measures dictated by circumstances to protect civilians, especially those terrorists, like the Al-Qaida who are involved in the uprising, killing civilians and taking some as hostages.  So the security forces responsible for combating terrorism were compelled to result to arms to bring down such elements in society.” 

The Libyan official condemned the western media for not giving true information about the situation in Libya, saying they (western media) are not giving the true picture of the situation.  

In conclusion, Mr Abulgasim Muhamed, thank President Yahya Jammeh and the government and the people of The Gambia.