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Libya’s foreign minister sacked after Israel meeting sparks protests
- Libya’s Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush met with her Israeli counterpart in Rome
- Meeting prompted scattered street protests in the chaos-stricken North African nation
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Libya’s internationally recognised prime minister has sacked his top diplomat after she met her Israeli counterpart, with news of the encounter triggering protests in a country that does not recognise Israel.
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Oil-rich Libya, which plunged into chaos after dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 Nato-backed uprising, has been divided since 2014 between the UN-supported government of Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah in Tripoli and a rival administration based in the country’s east.
Analysts who spoke to Agence France-Presse appeared to agree that Najla al-Mangoush was the “fall person” for decisions made by Libya’s rival leaders, and linked the meeting with United States efforts to pressure more Arab countries to normalise ties with Israel.
Al-Ahrar private news channel, citing a government source, said Mangoush had been fired following a meeting last week in Rome with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.
The Palestinian embassy in Tripoli also reported her dismissal, saying it had been announced by Dbeibah during a visit on Monday to the mission. Dbeibah also declared “his rejection of normalisation with Israel” and Libya’s total support for the Palestinian people, the embassy said.
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