Musings From Abroad

Libya’s PM visits Palestinian embassy amid controversy over ties with Israel

Published

1 year ago

August 29, 2023

Amid recent controversy surrounding a diplomatic engagement of its Foreign Minister last week, Libyan Prime Minister, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, has visited the Palestinian embassy for what seems like an attempt at reiterating Libya’s loyalty to Palestine.

al-Dbeibah visited the Palestinian embassy in Tripoli on Monday to affirm his country’s continued support for the Palestinian cause.

He stated that his country supported the Palestinians and that his suspended foreign minister did not speak for the government during his meeting his Israeli counterpart.

Libyan Foreign Minister, Najla Mangoush, was suspended on Monday following her meeting with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen of Israel last week despite the countries not having formal relations.

Mangoush had declined to meet with Israeli officials, according to the Libyan Foreign Ministry, and what had happened was “an unplanned, informal contact at a meeting at Italy’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.”

Meanwhile, two senior Libyan government officials quoted by Reuters claimed that the prime minister was aware of the talks between his foreign minister and the Israeli official.

Dbeibah approved the meeting last month while on a trip to Rome, according to one of the officials. “The prime minister’s office arranged the encounter in coordination with Mangoush”, the source said.

It is reported that the suspension of Mangoush by Dbeibah was warmly received by the Palestinian ambassador.

Libya is a strong ally of Palestine, whose relations with Israel have been strained since the end of the nineteenth century when the Israeli state was created, which led to the first Arab-Israeli War. The war ended in 1949 with Israel’s victory, but 750,000 Palestinians were displaced.

Related Topics:Featured Israel Libya Palestin

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Musings From Abroad

Nigeria, India to strengthen counterterrorism, maritime security cooperation

Published

4 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

During a state visit to Nigeria on Sunday, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra, Modi reached an agreement, on behalf of his country, to strengthen cooperation in counterterrorism, intelligence, and maritime security.

President Bola Tinubu invited Modi to visit Nigeria, the first Indian prime minister to do so in 17 years.

Tinubu is looking for investments from some of the largest economies in the world.

In addition to discussing economic development, defence, healthcare, and food security, Modi and Tinubu met at the presidential mansion on Sunday after arriving in the capital, Abuja, on Saturday night, according to a joint statement.

The two nations decided to work together to protect maritime trade routes and fight piracy in response to the mounting risks in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea.

The most populous country in Africa, Nigeria, is looking to attract more Indian investment and lower-cost credit lines in order to strengthen its economy and generate employment.

Nigeria announced last year that it had obtained about $14 billion in pledges from Indian businesses, including Jindal Steel and Power, which promised to spend $3 billion in Nigeria’s steel industry, during the G20 conference.

Over 200 Indian businesses are present in Nigeria.

Modi was scheduled to go to Brazil for this year’s G20 conference after Nigeria.

Nigeria and India have a long-standing and cordial bilateral relationship. Nigeria, home to more than 200 million people, and India, home to 1.3 billion people, are both sizable emerging nations with multilingual, multiethnic, and multireligious communities.

Musings From Abroad

Military advisors from Russia arrive Equatorial Guinea

Published

24 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Russian military advisors are in Equatorial Guinea training indigenous soldiers.

Anonymous sources cited by Reuters during the week claim that between 100 and 200 Russian instructors are training with elite guards in charge of guarding the President and the first family.

The males had been seen in Malabo, the country’s capital, and Bata, its second city. Reports of Russian forces stationed in the nation initially appeared in August.

Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has maintained close relations with Moscow.

Nguema travelled to Moscow in September to attend the Russian Energy Week International Forum.

Russia has strengthened military connections with African countries, sending advisors and combat soldiers to the Central African Republic, Mozambique, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

Faced with an Islamist terrorist insurrection, three Sahel countries have turned to Moscow for support, expelling French and American troops.