By FRANCE 24
France’s honorary consul in the eastern Libyan
city of Benghazi survived a gun attack on his car unharmed, officials
said on Friday, in the latest assault on foreigners in the cradle of the
North African country’s 2011 revolt.
The attack happened late on Thursday when Jean Dufriche was returning home with his wife.
“The consul was driving home when a car drove up and started shooting at their car,” said Mohammed al-Hijazy, spokesman of the security operations room in Benghazi.
“They were close to the Benghazi Medical Centre when the incident happened. They went there and stayed there until we sent a protection force. They have since left for Tunisia,” he said.
“At least ten bullets hit the vehicle, but no one was wounded."
A source close to Dufriche said there were at least seven bullet holes in his car. The source said the gunmen had fired several rounds and it was “a miracle” Dufriche had survived.
‘Re-establishing security’
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius condemned the attack "with the greatest firmness".
"Libya is facing great challenges after 42 years of dictatorship and eight months of conflict. The re-establishment of security is the priority to allow the development of the country and the creation of a state of law," he said in a statement.
"France is fully mobilised to support the Libyan authorities."
French President François Hollande, who is currently visiting Tunisia, expressed his "admiration" for the consul for having escaped unharmed from the attack.
Awash with weapons
Benghazi, cradle of the 2011 uprising that toppled former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, has seen several attacks targeting the security forces and Western interests in recent months.
In April, a car bomb devastated France’s embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, wounding two French guards.
Last September, the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed during an attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi.
US officials say militants with ties to al Qaeda affiliates were most likely involved in the mission attack.
Benghazi, like much of Libya, is awash with weapons. The city has also seen attacks on Italian, British, Red Cross and United Nations interests since the end of the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
(FRANCE 24 with wires)
The attack happened late on Thursday when Jean Dufriche was returning home with his wife.
“The consul was driving home when a car drove up and started shooting at their car,” said Mohammed al-Hijazy, spokesman of the security operations room in Benghazi.
“They were close to the Benghazi Medical Centre when the incident happened. They went there and stayed there until we sent a protection force. They have since left for Tunisia,” he said.
“At least ten bullets hit the vehicle, but no one was wounded."
A source close to Dufriche said there were at least seven bullet holes in his car. The source said the gunmen had fired several rounds and it was “a miracle” Dufriche had survived.
‘Re-establishing security’
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius condemned the attack "with the greatest firmness".
"Libya is facing great challenges after 42 years of dictatorship and eight months of conflict. The re-establishment of security is the priority to allow the development of the country and the creation of a state of law," he said in a statement.
"France is fully mobilised to support the Libyan authorities."
French President François Hollande, who is currently visiting Tunisia, expressed his "admiration" for the consul for having escaped unharmed from the attack.
Awash with weapons
Benghazi, cradle of the 2011 uprising that toppled former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, has seen several attacks targeting the security forces and Western interests in recent months.
In April, a car bomb devastated France’s embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, wounding two French guards.
Last September, the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed during an attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi.
US officials say militants with ties to al Qaeda affiliates were most likely involved in the mission attack.
Benghazi, like much of Libya, is awash with weapons. The city has also seen attacks on Italian, British, Red Cross and United Nations interests since the end of the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
(FRANCE 24 with wires)
ليبيا المستقبل:
حضر وزير الداخلية محمد الشيخ وعضوا المؤتمر الوطني العام محمد أبو غمجة
وسالم علي الهمالي صباح اليوم السبت عملية تسليم فرقة الإسناد الخاصة
الرابعة صباح اليوم السبت جميع مقراتها وأسلحتها إلى وزارة الداخلية وضم
كافة أفرادها إلى جهاز الشرطة بعد تلقيهم كافة التدريبات المتخصصة. وقال
الشيخ على هامش التسليم لوكالة الأنباء الليبية: "هذه القوة تعتمد على شقين
جزء خاضع لوزارة الداخلية والجزء الآخر خاضع لرئاسة الأركان من خلال
المنطقة العسكرية طرابلس". وأضاف: "سيتم دمج فرق الإسناد التابعة لوزارة
الداخلية كجزء من استحقاقات الوزارة ضمن قوة التدخل التي سيتم انتشارها وفق
الخطة التي وضعتها غرفة العمليات بناء على قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 308 لعام
2013".
خلص
إجتماع ضباط الجيش وبعض مؤسسات المجتمع المدني المنعقد بفندق تيبستي
ببنغازي أمس الخميس إلى حلّ المؤتمر الوطني العام، والدعوة إلى إجراء
انتخابات مبكرة مع الإبقاء على الحكومة الحالية كحكومة تسييرية إلى حين
تشكيل حكومة أزمة. ودعا الاجتماع الذي عقد لمناقشة سبل تفعيل المؤسسات
العسكرية والأمنية لأداء دورها المنوط بها في حفظ الأمن والاستقرار، وضم
عدد من ضباط الجيش والشرطة، الى إلغاء وحل كافة الاحزاب السياسية إلى حين
إستفتاء الليبيين على الدستور وهم أصحاب الحق في إنشائها. وأوصى بالعمل
بالدستور الصادر عام 1951م مع إجراء التعديلات التي تتنافى مع التعاليم
الإسلامية وشكل الدولة ونظام الحكم إلى حين الإنتهاء من الإستفتاء على
الدستور المعد من قبل لجنة الستين. ودعا المجتمعون إلى حل كافة الكيانات
العسكرية المسلحة والدعوة الى دولة القانون وتطهير القضاء والجيش والشرطة،
والسماح لهيئة مكافحة الفساد لمباشرة أعمالها بعد دعوتها لأداء اليمين أمام
رئيس المحكمة العليا و الحكومة المؤقتة. بالإضافة إلى تأسيس هيئة للمحافظة
على الأموال الليبية المنهوبة في الداخل والخارج والدفع بالمؤهلين من
الثوار الوطنيين لتقلد المناصب القيادية بمختلف مؤسسات الدولة. كما دعا
الاجتماع لتشكيل لجنة من الوطنيين الشرفاء المؤهلين للتحقيق في الأحداث
التي مرت بالبلاد ونتج عنها زهق الأرواح للأبرياء من أبناء الوطن.