Hussin Musrati. Photo: Darrin Zammit LupiA diplomatic battle over which government represents Libya has surfaced in Malta, with two men claiming they are the legitimate representatives of the troubled North African State on the island.
Hussin Musrati, representing Libya’s Tripoli-based National Salvation Government told a news conference at the embassy yesterday morning that the Maltese government was dabbling in Libyan affairs by not recognising the NSG as the official government.
He said the NSG was “shocked” by the Maltese government’s recognition of Al-Habib Al-Amin as the official representative of Tobruk-based Libyan government in Malta.
Accusing the Maltese government of “taking sides” and of “not being neutral”, Mr Musrati said he had been requesting a meeting with Foreign Minister George Vella since he took over on November 21 but had not yet received any replies.
But Mr Al-Amin hit back with a one-sentence statement later, accusing Mr Musrati of occupying the Attard embassy illegally as it was he who was “the legal representative of the legitimate government”.
The dispute in Malta is a mirror of the situation in Libya where the government based in Tobruk, led by Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni, and on the other side, the NSG, led by Prime Minister Omar al-Hassi, are both claiming they are the legitimate governments of Libya. The NSG was formed on September 8.
Government accused of taking sides and not being neutral
The issue was further complicated following a recent decision of Libya’s Supreme Court which put into question the legitimacy of the Tobruk government, claiming irregularities in the latest elections held.
Malta has followed the European Union and the United Nations in recognising the Tobruk Parliament as the sole representative of the people of Libya. But Mr Musrati is accusing Malta of taking sides, opting to recognise a government that the Libyan Supreme Court had declared illegitimate.
“We are building a nation and we’re doing a good job at it. We respect the rule of law. Now that there has been a decision by the Supreme Court, Malta must respect this decision,” Mr Musrati said.
According to Mr Musrati, the NSG was in contact with other European and African states and would “soon” be recognised as the legitimate government.
He also lashed out at Bank of Valletta, which acceded to Mr Al-Amin’s requests to block the embassy’s accounts, and promised to take the matter to court.
He further accused Mr Al-Amin of “stealing” the embassy’s vehicles, adding, when asked, that the matter had been reported to the police.
In a statement, Foreign Minister George Vella said Malta will not be forced into choosing sides, as he called on both sides to engage in dialogue.