Chaotic situation in Libya
Libya is on the brink of civil war. The country’s security situation has deteriorated further and the violence has escalated.
Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb says that Finland strongly condemns all of the violence with which the Libyan government has reacted to citizens’ legitimate and understandable demands.
“This is about citizens’ right to participate in social decision-making and respect for human rights. Dialogue with citizens must be launched. Finland also considers it important that the violence is investigated and those guilty are brought to account for their acts. Finland demands that Libya cooperates to ease and speed up the evacuation of foreigners.”
Strengthening of democracy in North Africa and the Middle East is in line with the values of Finland and the EU. This is the Union’s neighbourhood. Finland believes that the ongoing changes may cause instability in the short term, but will lead to the strengthening of societies and the predictability of their development in the long term. Democratically governed countries are more stable than authoritarian countries. “Finland gives it full support to the legitimate hopes of Libya’s citizens for a democratic change, social justice and broad-based economic and social development,” Minister Stubb stated.
Protection of citizens is the present focus of EU countries’ activities. Several Member States have begun to evacuate their citizens. This involves a highly difficult operation as the situation at airports is chaotic, nor is the Internet or mobile phone connections working. Information is not being transmitted and it is difficult to obtain reliable data.
In its travel bulletin, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland continues to recommend that all travel to Libya be avoided. Finland does not have an embassy in Libya; instead, affairs involving the country are handled from the Finnish embassy in Tunis. Finns living or otherwise currently present in Libya are asked to update the information they have given the embassy.
The possibilities for evacuating Finns now in Libya are being explored together with other EU Member States. The Ministry knows of about ten Finns in Libya; so far two of them have said they wish to leave the country. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the embassy in Tunis are helping these people to do so.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland is not planning to send its own evacuation plane to Libya.
Additional information: Communications Officer on Duty at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, mobile tel. +358 40 551 6571 (outside office hours) and Inspector Tiina Kajakoski, mobile tel. +358 40 742 3893, Unit for the Middle East and North Africa (during office hours)