PARIS — France said on Monday its troops south of Libya are ready to strike extremists crossing the border, but the speaker of Libya's internationally recognized parliament rejected any Western military intervention in his country. International concern has been mounting over Libya, which is mired in its worst fighting since Western and Gulf-backed rebels overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi and killed him in 2011. Today two rival governments are each backed by an array of militias fighting it out across the country, and extremists in the east have pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State group. UN-sponsored talks between the rival governments did not take place Monday as scheduled. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said recent development on the ground “have not been conducive in any way to holding a dialogue.” He said the UN is urging the rival governments to agree on the timing and a venue “that complies with the necessary security requirements.” French President Francois Hollande urged the United Nations to take action to stem growing violence in the North African country and the transit of arms from Libya to militant groups around the Sahel region. “We are making sure to contain the terrorism that took refuge there, in southern Libya. But France will not intervene in Libya because it's up to the international community to take its responsibility,” Hollande said Monday on France-Inter radio. While he ruled out unilateral intervention inside Libya, he said French forces will strike extremists “every time they leave these places where they are hiding.” To do that, France is setting up a military base in northern Niger, 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the lawless Libyan border region. About 200 troops are deployed in the desert outpost at Madama. French and US drones are already operating out of Niger's capital, Niamey. African leaders urged Western countries to intervene in Libya at a security summit in Dakar last month. On Monday, Libyan leaders called on the Arab League for help but rejected armed Western intervention. “I call formally on the Arab League to intervene to protect the vital installations in all of Libya and to prevent all these terrorist formations from using violence,” Libyan parliament speaker Aqila Issa told reporters in Cairo after a meeting on the subject. “Foreign military intervention in Libya is rejected. If we need any military intervention, we will ask our Arab brothers,” he added. Issa did not elaborate on what type of aid he sought, but the Arab League, which supports the internationally recognized government based in the eastern city of Tobruk, called for a UN arms embargo to be lifted. – Reuters
