As a result of the protests, thousands of foreigners leave Libya
BBC informs that several countries have started to evacuate their citizens from Libya and oil companies are repatriating their staff. State TV announced that the Leader Gaddafi would address the population.
Articol de Paul Poteraşi, 23 Februarie 2011, 10:21
As a result of the violent clashes between protesters and security forces that concluded with hundreds dead, tens of thousands of foreigners try to leave Libya, BBC informs.
Egypt mobilised armed forces on the border with Libya and set up field hospitals after about ten thousand Egyptian citizens tried to return home.
Egypt affirms that at least four planes would be sent to evacuate their citizens.
Other countries have also started to evacuate their citizens and oil companies are repatriating their staff.
BBC also stated that the situation in Tripoli had calmed down but after a night of fights feeling of fear persisted.
The UN Security Council is holding a closed meeting concerning the crisis in Libya.
The Arab League will also hold an emergency meeting.
Libyan State TV reported that the leader Muammar Gaddafi would address the country later on Tuesday and he would announce ‘big reforms’, but he did not offer more details.
Over night, Colonel Gaddafi dismissed the information according to which he would have left the country during protests and calling foreign news channels ‘dogs’.
‘I am in Tripoli and not in Venezuela’, he stated for the Libyan TV, denying the rumors according to which he was in Caracas.
The Ministry of External Affairs supports Romanian people in Libya
The Romanian Ministry of External Affairs organised a crisis cell to answer the requests of the Romanian citizens in Libya.
The General Director of Public Diplomacy, Doris Mircea, stated that there were about 500 Romanians in Libya.
‘We can not know for certain how many Romanian citizens are in that area because the Ministry of External Affairs does not register the Romanians that leave abroad; they are registered only when they contact and inform the Embassy about their presence in the area’, Doris Mircea stated.
He added that he did not receive any repatriation request so far but he did receive support requests to leave the area.
‘So far, we have received 220 requests from people who want to leave the area, not to be evacuated. 80 Romanian citizens out of 500 have already returned to Romania, by plane.’
‘In order for the Consular Office to be able to operate as it has so far and provide consular assistance, the Ministry of External Affairs will send two consular officers to Tripoli’, he also stated.
Translated by: Lidia Enăsoiu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University
