Libyan prime minister distances himself from ‘fake news’ column in UK newspaper
Libya’s prime minister has distanced himself from a first-person article published under his name by The Times, saying he was surprised by its content.
In a tweet from his verified account on Wednesday, Fathi Bashagha said the British newspaper’s opinion piece was “mere lies” and “fake news”.
The Times has rejected Mr Bashagha’s accusation.
“We stand by our publishing of this article and Fathi Bashagha’s staff have confirmed to us it is accurate,” the newspaper told The National.
The opinion piece, published under the headline “Libya wants to stand with Britain against Russian aggression”, was sharply critical of the invasion of Ukraine.
“I was horrified when I saw Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. As a Libyan, I know what it is like to see foreign forces enter your country illegally,” it said.
The article went on to say that Libya was also fighting for freedom and safety and included a pledge to kick foreign mercenaries out of Libya.
“The western world, led by Britain, is now taking the fight to Russian military bullying in Ukraine and around the world.
They have been good to us – our British, French and American friends helped us keep the scourge of ISIS at bay. But I want to remind Britain that Libya, too, is a front line in this fight with Russia,” it said.
Thousands of mercenaries, Turkish soldiers and their Syrian militia allies, as well as other foreign fighters, have operated inside Libya for years.
Last October, military representatives from the Government of National Accord in Tripoli and opposition military forces agreed on a comprehensive action plan.
It was signed at a ceremony hosted by the UN in Geneva and outlines the gradual withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces in line with a ceasefire.
Mr Bashagha questioned the integrity and credibility of The Times, which has been published since 1785.
“I was surprised by an article attributed to me and published in the English newspaper The Times. I wish that this respected and time-honoured newspaper had fact-checked reports first and stuck to accuracy in order not to publish fake news,” he tweeted.
Libya was fighting a civil war until a ceasefire led to talks and efforts to reunify the country, but tensions and division continue. Mr Bashagha, a former Libyan air force pilot, was made interior minister at the GNA in 2018.
In February this year, he was appointed by Libya’s parliament in the eastern city Tobruk. He has been due to replace Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who refuses to step aside and says Mr Bashagha’s nomination is illegitimate.
Mr Dbeibah was appointed in 2020 with the mandate to set the stage for the country’s first presidential elections.