Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 22 May 2019
UN envoy warns Libya is on verge of descending to civil war

By EDITH M. LEDERER in a divided country, with
Associated Press a U.N.-aligned, but weak,
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — administration in Tripoli
The U.N. envoy for Libya overseeing the country's
warned Tuesday that the west and a government in
oil-rich nation "is on the the east aligned with Hifter.
verge of descending into a Each is backed by an ar-
civil war" that could divide ray of militias and armed
the country and imperil the groups fighting over re-
security of its neighbors and sources and territory.
the wider Mediterranean Salame lamented that
region. when Hifter launched the
Ghassan Salame told the offensive on April 4 "the
Security Council that ex- capital was enjoying a
tremists from the Islamic measure of increased se-
State and al-Qaida are al- curity, the population a
ready exploiting the secu- much more stable cur-
rity vacuum sparked by the rency and an improved
offensive to take the capi- economic outlook, and
tal Tripoli launched April the political process, de-
4 by the self-styled Libyan spite many obstacles, was
National Army led by Field moving forward" with a na-
Marshal Khalifa Hifter. tional conference 10 days
He said the black flags of away to chart a roadmap
the Islamic State extrem- In this Aug. 14, 2017 file photo, Libyan militia commander General Khalifa Hifter meets with Russian to elections and a united
ist group are appearing in Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia. future for Libya.
southern Libya and there Associated Press But 48 days into Hifter's of-
have been four attacks by fensive, he said, more than
its fighters in the south since in the past courageously Besides innocent Libyans ya's immediate neighbors." 460 people have died, in-
April 4 that together have defended their coun- being increasingly subject- Civil war in Libya in 2011 cluding 29 civilians, over
killed 17 people, wounded try against these terrorist ed to the increasing wrath toppled and later killed 2,400 mainly civilians have
more than 10 and led to groups are now busy fight- of Islamic State extremists, longtime dictator Moam- been wounded, and over
eight kidnappings. ing each other," Salame he said, "there will be spill- mar Gadhafi, and the cha- 75,000 civilians have been
"Libyan forces that had said. over of this violence to Lib- os that followed resulted forced from their homes.q

Greece: Supreme court hears appeal for far-left killer

Associated Press the paint-throwers gained
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — access to the building's ex-
Greece's supreme court terior.
on Tuesday examined the Later Tuesday, riot police
rejection of a furlough re- fired tear gas to disperse
quest by a hunger-striking a group of anarchists who
extremist serving multiple tried to vandalize elec-
life sentences for the killing toral stands in central
of 11 people by Greece's Athens before European
deadliest militant organiza- Parliament and Greek lo-
tion. cal elections Sunday. The
Dimitris Koufodinas, a hit anarchists were holding a
man for the now defunct march to voice support for
November 17 group which Koufodinas. No arrests were
killed 23 people from 1975- reported.
2000, has been on hunger Tuesday's hearing, which
strike for more than two was to determine whether
weeks over the refusal of his Koufodinas' request should
request for a leave of ab- be re-examined, was held
sence from prison. He was behind closed doors and
moved to intensive care in with a heavy police guard.
a hospital in the central city Supreme court prosecu-
of Volos last week. tor Xeni Dimitriou, who had
There has been a barrage Red paint is seen on the wall of the Parliament building as Greek Presidential Guards, changing of ordered a review of the
of vandal attacks on high- the guard at the tomb of the unknown Soldier in Athens, Tuesday, May 21, 2019. decision to deny the fur-
profile targets in support of Associated Press lough, has argued even
Koufodinas, 61, who was those serving multiple life
convicted in 2003 and was the day Tuesday, when a political offices and police exterior of the U.S. ambas- sentences are entitled to
moved to a minimum-secu- group of about 10 people stations sador's garden wall. Police leaves of absence from
rity agricultural prison last threw red paint at parlia- The Rouvikonas anarchist said one person was ar- prison.
summer. He has received ment and set off a smoke group claimed responsibil- rested in connection with The supreme court panel
six furloughs since late 2017. bomb. Other targets have ity for the parliament at- the parliament incident, hearing the case is expect-
The latest vandalism oc- included the U.S. ambassa- tack, as it had done for the while authorities launched ed to issue a decision in the
curred in the middle of dor's home, banks, shops, paint-throwing against the an investigation into how coming days. q