By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 28 November 2013:
Work is underway to boost safety and security in Benghazi and the city is not being . . .[restrict]neglected by the government, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said yesterday.
The Ministry of Interior had begun installing security cameras in the city, he said at yesterday’s press conference, adding that this was just one component of planned work to make the eastern city safer. Zeidan added that local people may not notice the installation of the cameras, as the locations will be kept secret to avoid them being targeted by criminals.
Two weeks ago Benghazi Local Council announced that it had set aside LD 2 million for six new checkpoints around the city, according to Libyan news agency LANA. These, it said, would be equipped with closed circuit TV cameras (CCTV) and equipment for detecting explosives.
Responding to accusations that the government had been conspicuous in its absence in Benghazi. Zeidan pointed out that Benghazi’s army, police and Saiqa Special Forces were all government personnel.
He stressed that these forces were under the control of the government, from which they took instruction. Without the backing of the Ministries of Interior, Defence, Justice and Finance, he said: “These official security units are not able to move”.
Zeidan also emphasised that members of the government, including Deputy Interior Minister Bahloul Al-Sayed, had gone to Benghazi to closely follow the recent situation.
Al-Sayed had held talks with high-ranking military personnel, including the commander of the Benghazi Joint Security Room (BJSR), the head of the local Security Directorate, and the commander of Saiqa Forces, he added.
Deputy Health Minister Hussain Rujbani went to Ajdabiya, to a hospital where members of Ansar Al-Sharia injured in Monday’s clashes in Benghazi were being treated. Zeidan said that Rujbani’s task there was to monitor and oversee their treatment. [/restrict]
