Libya: al-Thanni government rejects EU-funded News Agency

The Libyan international recognized government rejected the EU-funded Cloud News Agency saying the agency is a weapon of colonial domination.

 Omer Al-Ghawari, Head of Information and Culture Authority in the eastern government of Abdullah Al-Thanni criticized the newly established news agency calling the reporters and editors EU’s puppets and spies and traitors.

He reportedly called on the Libyan self-style Gen Hafter’s forces to arrest reporters and editors of the new news agency which is according to him an EU interference into Libyan internal affairs.

Ghawari’s reaction follows the launch on Friday of Cloud News Agency, funded by the EU with the cooperation of German Deutsche Welle Academy. Cloud News Agency is headquartered in Tunis.

Libyan National Commission for Human Rights relatedly condemned Ghawari and held him accountable for the safety of the News Agency’s staff.

In another development, a session of the internationally recognised parliament, the House of Representative (HoR,) that was discussing the UN-brokered deal and the UN-proposed unity government was suspended and apparently ended in a fight.

A group of 92 lawmakers from Fezzan have thrown their support behind the Dialogue deal while they still oppose the composition of the unity government proposed by Bernardino Leon, former head of the UNSMIL.

The group of 92 is opposed to hardliners including HoR President Ageela Salah Gwaider who are strictly opposed to the Dialogue deal and only recognize the July 11 draft inked under Leon’s auspices.