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By Ashraf Abdul Wahab.
Tripoli, 12 December:
The Defence Ministry’s Office in the southern region organised on Monday a workshop to discuss the . . .[restrict]region’s security situation .
Tahir Shabiaan, the director of the Defence Ministry’s Office, southern region branch, said: “This workshop came as a result of the worsening security situation in the region and the deteriorating situation on the borders and the continued violations, with no proper security at all towns’ entrances.”
He explained: “We discussed during the meeting ways of establishing an operations room consisting of all security agencies in order to follow-up the security situation in the region and to submit clear and explicit reports to the General of Staff Office and the Ministries of Defence and Interior.”
He added that he had submitted a report on border security and combating illegal immigration to the Defence Minister. It included details on the smuggling of drugs and alcohol as well as on illegal immigration from neighboring countries into Libya.
He continued: “The report included the seriousness of diseases being carried by displaced people and the need to form a committee of the GNC to inspect the situation and submit a report to the presidency of Congress.”
The workshop included officers and non-commissioned officers of the southern region as well as members of the Sebha local council and the its GNC representatives.
The most recent major breach of security in Sebha was earlier this month when some 200 prisoners escaped from the jail.
The day before the workshop there were demonstrations in Sebha’s Alqal’a Square in support of the military region’s commander,Abdul-Rahman Taweil, and the commander of the operations room, Wanis Abu-Khamada.
The demonstrators also demanded better security in the town, the countries’ borders to be secured and an end to the waves of the illegal immigration. One banner criticised the establishment of camps for the displaced families. Other banners were opposed to a federal state system and to the Veterans’ Affairs Commission in the region.
The demonstration later headed to the headquarters of the Veterans’ Affairs Commission, demanding its dissolution and the appointment of a new steering committee. [/restrict]
