Libya summons US chargé d'affaires over Trump's 'insulting' remarks

Libya's Foreign Ministry summoned the US chargé d'affaires on Sunday to protest "insulting" remarks made by US President Donald Trump during a Saturday rally, in which he described Libya as one of the countries "plagued by terrorism."

The ministry stated that it rejects any statements that would "undermine the dignity of its people or diminish their status."

Trump said during a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday: "(US Senator) Jon Ossoff personally sponsored a bill to bring hordes of migrants from countries plagued by terrorism like Libya, Yemen, Haiti, and Somalia. Do you remember what I call them? Shithole countries."

Rival authorities in eastern and western Libya denounced Trump's remarks, rejecting the inclusion of Libya's name in the context of "electoral disputes."

Dbeiba and Haftar condemn
Earlier on Sunday, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeiba expressed his rejection of any insult to Libya and its people.

Dbeiba said via his "Facebook" account: "Libya is a sovereign state, and we reject any insult to it or to its people who made great sacrifices in fighting terrorism."

Dbeiba added: "We are keen on our relations with the United States based on mutual respect, and we will not accept that the dignity of Libya and its people becomes material for electoral disputes."

Also, the High State Council in Libya sent a message to Trump, confirming its rejection of insults to the Libyan people or diminishment of their dignity and sovereignty, stressing that "the status of nations is not measured by their wealth or military power, but by their history and the dignity of their peoples."

In a statement titled "Libya is not humiliated... and history does not bow to the arrogant," the Council said on Sunday that "the value of peoples is not determined by balances of power, and the greatness of leaders does not appear in their ability to insult others, but in respecting their dignity," considering that possessing weapons and wealth does not grant any state or leader the right to demean peoples.

The Council affirmed that differences between states in their policies and diverging interests do not justify undermining the dignity of peoples, stressing that respecting it is an inherent right not linked to a grant from a president or a privilege imposed by force, nor is it canceled by political disagreements.

Furthermore, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Army, Major General Saddam Haftar, expressed his rejection and condemnation of Trump's remarks, considering them "insulting to Libya and its people."

Saddam Haftar said via his "Facebook" page that "electoral disputes or internal political considerations cannot be justification for insulting states and peoples or diminishing their dignity."

He added that "Libya is an independent sovereign state, and its national dignity is above any consideration, and we cannot accept it being subject to insult or diminishment under any circumstance or political justification," calling on relevant Libyan authorities to "initiate procedures guaranteed by diplomatic rules and norms, including notifying the American side of an official protest, and demanding that this insult be addressed in proportion to its gravity."