Libyan rebels await foreign funding

Rebel fighters in Libya are expecting cash from Western and Arab supporters to replenish their coffers.

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Benghazi - Libya's cash-strapped rebel authority said on Sunday it expected to start replenishing its empty coffers this week with the first batch of money promised by its foreign allies.

The rebels need more than $3-billion to cover salaries and other needs in the next six months and have won promises of financial assistance from its Western and Arab supporters.

Based in the eastern coastal city of Benghazi, rebels say they have yet to receive any cash from abroad and have been increasingly bitter in their criticism of Western nations.

Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, vice-chairperson of the rebel National Transitional Council, said he hoped the money would land soon.

“To this day we have not received any promised money. The mechanism is now in place and the funds should have been deposited last week,” he said, estimating the NTC's total needs, as stated in the official rebel budget, at about $3.5-billion.

“We are very optimistic that the money will be made available in the coming days... We believe this money will be deposited very shortly.”

Libya's economy relies on oil exports and the rebels have struggled to make ends meet as damage to energy infrastructure caused by the civil war has brought production to a halt in what used to be a major Opec oil producer in North Africa.

In an interview with Reuters, Libya's rebel oil chief Ali Tarhouni lashed out at the West on Saturday, accusing it of failing to keep its promises to deliver aid.

Western powers are helping rebels with daily air strikes against forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, and have promised to expand aid backed by Libyan assets frozen abroad.

For their part, Western and Arab allies as well as the United Nations are pressing the rebels to give a detailed plan on how they would run Libya if Gaddafi stood down or was ousted.

The rebels say their primary demand is for Gaddafi to step down, saying they see no future for Libya that includes him or his family. Ghoga ruled out holding any talks with Tripoli.

“There are no discussions between the NTC or any members of the Gaddafi regime or any institutions associated with the NTC,” he said. He accused Gaddafi's forces of deploying military units in densely populated areas which he said may have led to civilian casualties as a result of Nato air strikes.

On Sunday, Gaddafi's government said nine people had been killed in a Nato air strike on a civilian house in Tripoli. Nato said it was investigating the claim.

“We are sorry for the loss of civilian life that was caused by air strikes carried out by Nato. We hold the Gaddafi regime responsible for having placed its military (installations) near civilian areas,” he said. “So these losses are to be expected.” - Reuters

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/libyan-rebels-await-foreign-funding-1.1085205

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