Egypt condemned the execution of Ethiopians in Libya, as claimed in an Islamic State group (IS) video released Sunday, and called on the international community to “earnestly confront terrorist organizations wherever they are,” in to a Monday Foreign Ministry statement.The video purports that more than 25 Ethiopians, were killed based on their Christian identity; Ethiopia has not been able to confirm the nationality of the victims. In February, 20 Egyptians were filmed being beheaded in Libya.
“There is no doubt that the stern international community treatment of the terrorist incident of the heinous killing of Egyptian nationals has prevented the recurrence of such atrocious crimes,” the ministry statement said.
Egypt’s brief airstrikes on IS Libyan locations in the aftermath of the killings were largely not condemned, yet the West has called for a “political solution” to the Libya crisis.
Expressing solidarity with the Ethiopian people, the Foreign Ministry called on the international community to “bear responsibility” by supporting the Libyan government in Tobruk, as opposed to the Islamist-leaning government in Tripoli, that controls more of the country.
“We reiterate the need to take strict measures to stop the flow of arms and financing of terrorist organizations to freeze their sprawl in Libya and other parts of the region, to avoid further massacres and monstrous crimes against innocent civilians,” the statement added.
For months, Egypt has called for lifting the arms embargo on the Libya army, as armed groups that are also banned from importing weapons, are still able to smuggle arms.
