Libyan ‘thanks’

Libyan monarchy flags flew high outside the Libyan embassy in Balzan yesterday and beaming smiles rippled across a crowd of some 35 Libyans as they thanked the Maltese for recognising the Benghazi-based national council.

On Wednesday the Maltese government said it considered the Libyan Transitional National Council as the “sole legitimate interlocutor of the Libyan people”, a decision that Mahmoud Jibril, the council’s chairman and head of international affairs, described as one the Libyan people would never forget.

However, the move fell short of “full recognition” which he hoped the Maltese would eventually opt for. Yesterday, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Youssef Lamlum thanked the Maltese government for its “strong support and for believing in the Libyan cause”.

The Libyans, he said, were grateful that the media and “the man in the street” had pushed their just cause and given financial help to Libyans in the besieged cities.

“Our previous demonstrations were held because we trusted that the Maltese authorities believed in people’s right to freedom,” he said, smiling.

Mr Lamlum said Malta was one of the first countries to have recognised the opposition’s transitional council, while some Arabic and larger countries had yet to do so.

The group, which included women and children, called on embassy officials to switch their allegiance to the transitional council. Mr Lamlum said he hoped the embassy would fly the three-coloured monarchy flag to the music of the Libyan anthem endorsed by the Opposition’s council in Benghazi.

He said that although on fire, Libya was gradually slipping out of Col Gaddafi’s strong grip and into the people’s hands.

“The opposition is infiltrating surrounding areas, including Az-Zawiyah. Gaddafi is losing power, trust and manpower by the minute. In the end, evil will lose the battle, as usual,” Mr Lamlum said.

Magda Koukab, 35, originally from Az-Zawiyah, expressed her relief, as she held her children tightly by their hands.

“I am so happy about Malta’s decision to even send its people to Benghazi. This is all we were hoping for, all we were waiting for. Malta is our second home, and it is so close to our homeland that although Malta is tiny, the decision it made and the support it is showing is huge,” Ms Koukab said.

She predicted Col Gaddafi’s knees would buckle in the coming days. He was using his remaining energy to “avenge himself”, she said. Her family back in Libya are living under the watchful eye of the regime, fearing for their lives.

“I can now start living again, and not feel as if I just existed,” she added enthusiastically, insisting people who had not dared venture out and join the Libyans during the demonstrations in Malta had joined in yesterday’s “show of appreciation”.

Some of those present carried placards reading “Thank You Malta”, “Gaddafi wants us dead, you want us alive”. A banner, reading “Your presence here is illegal” addressed the Libyan embassy’s employees. Another screamed “The dictator’s era is over” in red.

The demonstrators, facing the embassy from across the road, chanted slogans which called for the end of Gaddafi.

Some others shouted in Arabic: “Gaddafi, you told us you will look for us, alley by alley, road by road. Now, it’s time that we look for you alley by alley, road by road”.