Libya may look to the UAE to train its police

Wednesday, 8 February 2012 8:13 AM

Ali Salem el-Faizani, 10, stands at a street corner while working as a traffic cop

Libya may look to the UAE to train its police and security forces as it look to rebuild its country after decades of rule under former leader Colonel Muammer Gaddafi, a leading UAE minister has revealed.

During the bloody civil war in the African country last year, the UAE was one of a number of Gulf states which supported the no-fly zone with military troops. When the rebel leaders eventually won control, the UAE was the second Arab country, after Qatar, to recognise the new government as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people and it is now looking to help it move forward into the post-Gaddafi era.

One possibility on the table is to help train Libya’s police offers and security forces. “We do have that experience, we have trained in Iraq, we have trained in Afghanistan and we have trained in many areas, but these are the sort conversations we will have,” UAE Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash said recently while heading up a 100-strong UAE delegation to Tripoli.

“We have many, many experiences not business-related. We want to talk to the Libyans about the transfer of knowledge,” headed.

Since the revolution, the UAE has supported the country with humanitarian aid, but Gargash said there was no commercial motive behind the Emirate’s support of the new regime.

“When we supported the Libyan people the commercial [interests] of the UAE were the last things on our mind. Our decision to support the Libyan people was a humanitarian political decision and I don’t think that support was in any way tied to future commercial interests.

“This is a period where Libya will need the cooperation of all countries and the support of all friends. We are friends of Libya and we hope to play our part. I think it is our duty to try and make something that is commercial and be able to be mutually beneficial for our Libyan partners and for ourselves,” he added.

Looking to the future, Gargash said he is confident Libya would make the right steps towards rebuilding its economy and government and helping it do so is clearly top of the agenda for many Arab League nations. “Libya is starting to take its rightful place. Libya’s voice has been heard in many of the Arab League meetings and in much of the regional politics and I think Libya has priorities and these issues much take priority,” he said.