Libya-Italy: “Libya on brink of failed state,” Rome laments

On the heels of the barbaric acts committed by ISIS in Sirte over the weekend, Italian foreign minister called on the international community to take quick actions to ensure that Libya does not become “another Somalia” reference to a “failed state.”

“We will find ourselves with another Somalia two steps from our coasts,” said the Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni.

Italy joined the international condemnation of the barbaric beheading of 12 militiamen by the ISIS over the weekend in the Libyan city of Sirte, hometown of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Italy, US, France, Britain, Spain and Germany had issued a joint statement condemning the barbaric, ugly actions committed by ISIS.

“We are deeply concerned about reports that these fighters have shelled densely populated parts of the city and committed indiscriminate acts of violence to terrorize the Libyan population,” the joint statement said, calling on all sides in Libya “to join efforts to combat the threat posed by transnational terrorist groups exploiting Libya for their own agenda.”

Gentiloni told Italian daily Stampa Monday there was an urgent need for a quick agreement between Libyan factions to reach a final accord that will bring order in Libya.

“Time is limited, particularly now that IS in Sirte has become alarming,” he said.

The EU and the United States have been pushing all Libyan political sides to sign an accord that will bring stability to the North African country which descended into shreds after the ouster of Col Muammar Gaddafi following a popular uprising in 2011.

The UN brokered a first initial accord between Libyan sides including the House of Representative (HoR,) the parliament of the internationally recognized government based in Toburuk. The rival parliament based in Tripoli, the General National Congress (GNC) boycotted the draft on grounds that it was “unsatisfactory.”

The UNMIL Chief Bernardino Leon convened last week another two-day round of talks in the Swiss city of Geneva that was attended by the GNC. Leon told delegates present in Geneva that there was need for them to reach a final accord before the end of August because past that deadline, the country will be dangerously edging towards a total apocalypse. The Geneva meeting is to continue in Morocco shortly.

Facing the ever growing threat of the Islamic State, the Libyan internationally recognized government urged the Arab league to intervene with air-strikes. Tripoli-based government also said that military actions are afoot.