Libya rebels win international recognition

Delegates from more than 30 countries have decided to recognise the Libyan opposition as the “legitimate authority of Libya”, according to the Italian foreign minister.

The decision came at a meeting of the Contact Group on Libya in Istanbul.

The Libyan opposition is represented by the Transitional National Council.

“The entire Libyan Contact Group decided to recognise the TNC as the legitimate authority of Libya,” Franco Frattini told reporters.

He said the recognition will be officially announced when the final document is released later in the day.

Such a recognition would amount to a serious upgrade of the diplomatic status of the Libyan opposition in the world and put enormous pressure on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to step aside.

The US and a growing number of countries already considered the council the legitimate representative for the Libyan people but have not formally recognised it as Libya’s government.

The council has been seeking formal recognition from the United States and others for months.

Senior US officials have said the Obama administration was preparing to strengthen ties with the council once it presents detailed plans for a democratic government as it becomes increasingly clear it will govern a post-Gaddafi Libya.

There are concerns, however, about whether the initial government would represent the full spectrum of Libyan society. Human Right Watch has called on the Contact Group to press the opposition to ensure that civilians are protected in areas where rebels have assumed control.

Rebel forces are trying to close in on the Libyan capital to overthrow the Libyan leader. But his forces reportedly repelled a co-ordinated attack by Nato forces and rebels against a strategic oil town, Brega, in the east of the country yesterday.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told journalists that rebel forces attacked Brega backed by Nato forces in the sea and air in an attack that he said violated the alliance’s UN mandate to protect civilians.

“It was a full scale attack and it was heavy and merciless,” he said. “We were successful in combating this attack and we did defeat both Nato and the rebels and we killed many rebel forces

and captured a good number of them as well. It proves Nato is not interested in democracy, protecting civilians or peace.”

Mr Ibrahim’s assessment of the fighting could not immediately be verified.