Paris, May 06: The French government has expelled 14 former Libyan diplomats to boost pressure on Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi to quit power.
The French foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday the diplomats, who used to serve the Gaddafi regime, have been ordered to leave the European country within two days, AFP reported.
“France has declared persona non grata 14 Libyan ex-diplomats posted in France. Depending on their case, those concerned have a deadline of 24 to 48 hours to leave French national territory,” the statement said.
The ministry has accused the diplomats of “activities incompatible with the relevant UN resolutions … and contrary to the protection of Libyan civilians.”
Paris considers the Gaddafi regime as illegitimate and has recognized the opposition-founded National Transitional Council as the rightful government of Libya.
Libya’s ambassadors to France and the Paris-based UN agency UNESCO have thrown their weight behind the popular revolution in Libya in protest against the brutal killing of opposition forces at the hands of Gaddafi loyalists.
The move comes a day after a meeting of the international Libya Contact Group in Rome which announced a special fund to support opposition forces and vowed to step up diplomatic pressure on the Libyan government.
The turn to diplomatic measures comes as military operations carried out by NATO have slipped into stalemate by causing civilian casualties.
The Western military alliance is tasked with protecting civilians by enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya mandated by the UN Resolution 1973.
——–Agencies