Ambassador denies Italy reports of being told to step down by Libya NTC

Libya's ambassador to Malta Saadun Suayeh has categorically denied claims from Libyan activists in Italy that he has been asked to vacate his post in Malta.

Italian reports today said the foreign ministry had been informed Suayeht was to relinquish his post by the end of this month, after reportedly being ordered by the interim government in Tripoli that he was to be changed.

News about Suayeh's resignation was made known this morning in Rome by Karim Ben Gharsa, Vice-President of the Libyan community in Italy, who expressed "satisfaction" that the NTC has demanded that Libya's ambassadors to Malta, Italy, the United States, Jordan and the Arab League leave their posts.

Attempts to contact ambassador Suayeh this morning proved futile, and the news of his departure could not be confirmed. The foreign ministry also could not confirm or deny being informed of Suayeh's departure.

It was confirmed however, that Libya's ambassador to Rome Abdulhafed Gaddur has resigned his post this week.

"Ambassador Gaddur has had no contact with me either. What Ben Gharsa is saying is untrue," Suayeh told MaltaToday.

According to Karim Ben Gharsa, ambassadors Gaddur and Suayeh received a letter from the foreign ministry in Tripoli on January 23, and were told that the new government led by interim Prime Minister El-Keib is requesting they return to Libya by not later than February 28.

The Libyan community in Rome has lauded the decision by Tripoli to remove the ambassadors, who had been nominated by the deposed Gaddafi regime.

Ambassador Gaddur however denied receiving such orders, and said that he was resigning his post for "personal matters," and that he had informed Tripoli about his resignation on January 22 - a day before he reportedly was ordered to leave his post.

Speaking to Italian news agency ANSA, Gaddur also confirmed that ambassador Suayeh in Malta had resigned his post, but added that there have been protests in Tripoli by a number of Libyan citizens who are demanding the NTC to accept the resignations.

In an interview with MaltaToday last August, shortly before the liberation of Tripoli by NTC forces, ambassador Suayeh had revealed his covert role in assisting the NTC.

Suayeh had also met with senior NTC leaders during a secret meeting held at the then French ambassador's residence in Zebbug.

During that meeting, the NTC leaders from Misurata were assisted to travel to Paris and meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who provided the NTC with all the necessary support for the final offensive on Tripoli that ousted Col. Gaddafi from his Bab Aziziya compound.