Libya: Anger and summoning of a diplomat after Trump’s “dirty countries” statement

On Sunday, Libya summoned the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy on its territory, following statements by US President Donald Trump during an election rally in the state of Georgia last night, where he described Libya as "dirty" and "infested with terrorism." The head of the Libyan National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, wrote in a brief statement on his social media accounts that Libya is “a sovereign state, and we reject any insult to it or to its people who have made great sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.”

Al-Dabaiba continued: “We are keen on our relations with the United States on the basis of mutual respect, and we will not accept that the dignity of Libya and its people be the subject of electoral debates.” Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, on Sunday, in which it announced the summoning of the US Chargé d’Affaires “to inform her of the Ministry’s protest regarding the offensive statements that targeted Libya and its people, and to deliver to her an official note of protest regarding those statements and to correct what was contained therein.”

The Ministry affirmed that "Libya rejects any statements that would harm the dignity of its people or undermine its status, or throw the name of Libya and its people into the context of electoral debates and internal political calculations." The Presidential Council also issued a statement in which it affirmed its “categorical rejection” of President Trump’s statements “against Libya and its people,” considering that these statements represent “an unacceptable transgression and an attack on the dignity of a people who do not accept to be an object of contempt or a material for political bidding, whatever their source or motives.”

At an election conference in the state of Georgia, on Saturday, Trump touched on immigrants and his hard-line stances on the immigration issue, and criticized what he said was bringing immigrants to the United States from countries “infested with terrorism such as Libya, Yemen, Haiti, and Somalia.” Trump was in Perry, Georgia, where he was rallying support for Republican Party candidates, including Representative Mike Collins (nominee for Senate) and businessman Rick Jackson (nominee for governor).