21 March 2011
Libyan opposition officials were to be received Monday at the French foreign ministry as France resumed air patrols over Libya, a ministry official said. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has cancelled an appearance at the Uefa congress in Paris on Tuesday so as to follow the situation in Libya.
France became the first country to recognise Libya’s opposition National Transitional Council (CNT) as the legitimate representatives of the Libyan people on 10 March and Sarkozy met three CNT representatives on that occasion.
Paris said it would send an ambassador to Benghazi, the opposition stronghold in eastern Libya.
French planes resumed sorties over Libya early Monday, general staff spokesperson Colonel Thierry Burkhard said.
On Saturday, France spearheaded the Western-led operation codenamed “Odyssey Dawn” against forces loyal to Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.
Sarkozy’s office has announced that he would not be addressing the congress of world football’s governing body, Uefa, on Tuesday morning, as planned. He has also called off a visit to nearby Versailles.
Defence ministry representatives meanwhile denied that the aim of the strikes was to get rid of Kadhafi.
Asked by a journalist on Europe 1 radio if French airplanes would fire on Kadhafi if they knew his whereabouts, ministry spokesperson Laurent Tessière replied; “No, the answer is no.”
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Libya: Opposition in Paris As Air Intervention Continues