Libya’s rebel council issued a blunt warning to neighbouring Algeria yesterday, insisting that it must “stop supporting Gaddafi,” as tensions between the North African countries bubbled to the surface.
Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, vice president of Libya’s National Transitional Council, accused Algeria of supporting Muammar Gaddafi militarily in the early days of the near five-month-long war, and that it continued to support him politically.
“Our only response to Algeria is: stop supporting Gaddafi and stop helping him terrorise and kill innocent civilians and our loved ones,” he said.
“(Gaddafi) had military air support from Algeria” said Mr Ghoga, recalling the early days of the war, adding that 4x4 vehicles had also crossed the border in support of Gaddafi forces.”
“We hoped that the Algerian regime had learned its lesson and stopped these acts,” he said, without giving details about current levels of support.
Algeria has not officially recognised the rebel council, nor has it called for Gaddafi to go. The two countries share a massive and porous border in the Sahara, and tensions appear to have heightened because Algiers backed an African Union peace plan that would leave Col Gaddafi in power.
Meanwhile, Australia vowed yesterday to keep up humanitarian aid to Libya, as a senior official from Canberra visited the country for the first time since the revolt against Colonel Gaddafi erupted in mid-February.
Paul Grigson, Australia’s deputy foreign affairs and trade secretary, met members of the rebel National Transitional Council for talks, underscoring Australia’s role in providing aid and its recognition of Libya’s rebel council.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd in June recognised the National Transitional Council as “the legitimate interlocutor” of the Libyan people during a visit to Abu Dhabi.
And also yesterday, forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi launched a counterattack against rebel advance positions 50 kilometres southwest of Tripoli.
Loyalist forces fired half a dozen Grad rockets into the hamlet of Gualish.
The rebels replied with anti-tank fire as they sought to maintain their grip on Gualish, a key gateway on the road to the capital Tripoli that they seized on Wednesday. Just hours before the government attack, Nato warplanes bombed positions in the area, the correspondent said. A colonel in the rebel forces said the raid struck near Asablah, 17 kilometres from Gualish.