A meeting was held on Tuesday evening with representatives of the Tabu and Awlad Suleiman tribes in the city of Sebha. The meeting was held primarily in order to halt the clashes taking place in the south of the city. According to sources from the meeting, a ceasefire agreement was agreed and work is being put in place for calm as well as an agreement to adhere to results of meetings previously signed in Rome. It was also agreed to set a date for the next meeting on Thursday next week to discuss various outstanding issues like halting the escalation of clashes and giving local media a boost. Sources also said that the meeting was attended by the current Sultan of the Tabu tribe in Libya, Zlawi Mena, and Senusi Masood, the Chairman of the Awlad Sulaiman Tribal Council, in addition to elders of both tribes.
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The Minister of Health, Omar Bashir, has confirmed the importance of adhering to agreed standards and controls in the supply of medicines, and the need to set a specific time frame for the provision of drugs. This statement came as part of an expanded meeting held in Tripoli in the presence of representatives of pharmaceutical companies to discuss proposals made by the pharmaceutical companies regarding drug import plans for 2018. During the meeting, Bashir stressed the importance of controlling prices of medicines and reducing their disparities.
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The Libyan Humanitarian Relief Agency (LHRA) said it had set up 60 tents in the district of Qarara Al-Qataf, southeast of Misrata, as part of an aid package provided to the families of Tawergha IDPs. LHRA stated on their official Facebook page on Tuesday that as a result of the increase in the number of IDPs from Tawergha, LHRA distributed blankets, cooking utensils and personal hygiene materials to the families gathered there. The aid was provided in partnership with the UNHCR and in cooperation with Ata Charitable Organization from Bani Walid town.
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A UN committee of experts stated in a confidential report sent to the UN Security Council that ISIS in Libya is seeking to join human traffickers in southern Libya after being expelled from Sirte in 2016. According to AFP, the remaining ISIS millitrants, who are made up predominantly of foreigners, are attempting to find a foothold in the far south by sending envoys with "money loads". The envoys have also attempted to come in contact with other smuggling groups to provide support and seek long-term sources of funding. The report found that ISIS cells continue to operate in central and southern Libya despite the group's defeat in Sirte.
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The Libyan Foreign Minister, Mohamed Siayala, stated on Tuesday that Libya's position on the phenomenon of illegal immigration is clear and based on the necessity of Europe's commitment to address the crisis in the countries of origin and not in the transit countries. Siayala also said that the need to support the costs of the illegal immigrants who are present in Libya is a serious burden on the state. In a press statement during the Second Migration Transit Country conference, which was held at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said that this position should be highlighted and stressed the need for Europe to develop an economic development strategy targeting the countries of origin and address the file of illegal immigrants stranded in Libya.
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The Turkish Embassy in Tripoli announced the start of the registration process for Libyan students wishing to obtain Turkish scholarships for Masters and PhD in postgraduate studies for the 2018-19 academic year. The Embassy stated on their official Facebook page on Monday that Libyan citizens can apply for postgraduate studies from the 5th of February to the 5th of March through their website, noting that applicants for registration for a Master’s degree do not exceed thirty years of age, while applicants for a PhD do not exceed thirty five years of age. The Embassy added that submissions for bachelor's degree programs will be received from the 15th of April to the 27th of May, noting that the grant includes travel costs from the beginning to the end of the study, costs for University registration and accommodation.
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The Vice-Chairman of the Presidential Council, Ahmed Maitieq held a meeting with the European Union`s Ambassador to Libya, Bettina Muscheidt, on Tuesday morning. The two sides discussed EU support programs for Libya in the sectors of health, education and media, in addition to supporting Operation Sofia, designed to combat illegal immigration and monitoring of the southern border in coordination with the relevant authorities in Libya. According to Muscheidt, the European Union had monitored the financial values of supporting projects to help the municipal councils and contribute to solving the problems that hinder their functioning properly. For his part, Maitieq stressed that this support should be according to the needs of the target sectors during the current year 2018.
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Five reports of armed robbery were recorded in Benghazi on Monday, sources from the city's security directorate declare. The sources pointed out that all robberies targeted citizens’ cars in different parts of the city, noting that most of them occurred during daylight hours. Benghazi has been suffering from a state of security chaos for more than three months, with crime rates rising especially in the center of the city.
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