NATO to help build security institutions in Libya

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday said a team of NATO experts would help the Libyan government build defence and security institutions. Stoltenberg made the remarks after meeting with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Stoltenberg said NATO was engaged in preparing a programme to help build defense institutions in Libya in 2011, but added that, “the security situation made it impossible to continue.”

“Now we have agreed in a way to restart those efforts. An expert team from NATO met with experts from the government of national accord, in Tunisia, some weeks ago,” he said.

“The main purpose of the meeting today was to make sure our experts will sit down as soon as possible,” Stoltenberg added. He noted that NATO experts would address issues such as how to develop a modern ministry of defence, build joint chiefs of staff, and also to develop intelligence services in Libya.

NAN reports that Libya has been in a state of near anarchy since the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time dictator Moamer Gaddafi. In March 2016, a UN-backed unity government led by Serraj took over in Tripoli amid international hopes it would re-establish stability in the country.

It has been unable to gain recognition from the elected parliament based in the eastern city of Tobruk, which supports army commander Khalifa Haftar, who is aligned with the Tobruk government in the east.