The kidnapping and subsequent release of Martin Galea, a former Armed Forces of Malta captain, after 11 days of captivity in Tripoli, brought home with full force the dire situation in Libya today.

It is still not clear which militia abducted Mr Galea, why he was taken into captivity and what exactly led to his release.

Nor is it clear why the government first announced that Mr Galea had been abducted (after this was revealed by Times of Malta), then seemed to suggest that he was not exactly kidnapped but was being held by militia, only to later acknowledge that he was, in fact, abducted.

Mr Galea, who worked for an oil company in Libya, told the press that he was mistreated and threatened by his captors; his safe release back to Malta is therefore very welcome news.

He also said that Malta’s consul in Tripoli, Maria Farrugia, had played a crucial role in his release and had “literally saved” his life. This career diplomat – who was unwisely cast aside by this government – deserves immense credit for the part she played. However, it is sad that questions related to the affair remain.

Over the past few weeks the security situation in Libya has unfortunately deteriorated to a point where the central government has become almost ineffective. Rival militias, secularist and Islamist, are fighting for control of territories, mainly in the Tripoli and Benghazi areas; criminal gangs are taking advantage of the situation and kidnappings and murders have become common occurrences.

It was never going to be easy for Libya to become a stable, normal country in the aftermath of the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. Under this brutal dictator there were very few State institutions, no civil society, no professional army or police, no rule of law; everything depended on and revolved around Gaddafi and his cronies.

Libya was a corrupt mafia State and when Gaddafi was deposed the nation-building process had to start from scratch. Sadly, Libyans are still paying the price for Gaddafi’s 42 years of dictatorship.

Once again, Malta is doing what it can to help out in this latest Libyan crisis. Wounded Libyans are already being transferred to Malta for treatment, the US Ambassador to Tripoli is now based here and the island is assisting with the evacuation of foreign nationals from Libya.

This is all commendable, and Malta must do whatever it can, within its limitations, to help in this crisis. The Foreign Ministry will also, sooner rather than later, have to take a decision on its embassy in Tripoli and whether to order an evacuation of Maltese nationals from Libya.

Although the situation in Libya is bleak, the international community should not give up on helping the country, and Malta should make this very clear both within the European Union and at the United Nations.

It is true that ultimately Libya’s problems can only be solved by Libyans themselves; however, a sustained effort must be made by the EU, US, Arab League and UN to broker a ceasefire and get the various militias and tribes to speak to each other.

An international force of UN peacekeepers, made up of soldiers from the Arab League, and possibly funded by the EU and US, should also be considered. Such a force could at least provide a level of security for the Libyan people, and allow some breathing space for the different factions to speak to each other.

If a degree of stability had to be established, it would then be possible to count the votes of last month’s parliamentary elections, which could perhaps offer a way forward for the country.

The international community cannot afford to allow Libya to become a failed State; this would undoubtedly have very negative consequences for the entire region, not least Malta.

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