{"id":438847,"date":"2011-06-09T15:43:52","date_gmt":"2011-06-09T15:43:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/06\/09\/allies-boost-aid-to-libya-rebels\/"},"modified":"2011-06-09T15:43:52","modified_gmt":"2011-06-09T15:43:52","slug":"allies-boost-aid-to-libya-rebels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/06\/09\/allies-boost-aid-to-libya-rebels\/","title":{"rendered":"Allies boost aid to Libya rebels"},"content":{"rendered":"

9 June 2011<\/span> Last updated at<\/span> 11:43 ET<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Western and Arab countries involved in the Libya campaign have pledged money to a new funding mechanism for the rebels, stepping up international pressure on Col Gaddafi’s regime.<\/p>\n

Italy is sending $586 (400m euros; \u00a3360m), France $420m, and Kuwait $180m.<\/p>\n

The Libyan rebels have said they need $3bn over the next four months.<\/p>\n

The pledges came at a meeting of the Contact Group on Libya in Abu Dhabi. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Col Gaddafi’s days were “numbered”.<\/p>\n

“As time passes, maintaining our resolve and unity only grows more important,” she told the meeting of the Contact Group – which includes Britain, France and the US, as well as Arab allies Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar – convened to prepare for the post-Gaddafi era.<\/p>\n

Mrs Clinton added: “Alongside our military mission to protect the Libyan people, we must continue to escalate the political, diplomatic and financial pressure on Gaddafi and his regime.<\/p>\n

“Time is on our side – but we know we must sustain the pressure.”<\/p>\n

The temporary mechanism to transfer funds to the Libyan rebels is now operational, officials at the meeting said.<\/p>\n

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Gita Saghal, former Amnesty campaigner: “Rape is used as a weapon of war”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Representatives for Libya’s rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) transitional council say it needs cash urgently to pay for salaries and food supplies.<\/p>\n

Italy said it would give the rebels up to $586m (400m euros; \u00a3360m) in cash and fuel aid backed by frozen Libyan assets.<\/p>\n

France said it would release $420m (290m euros; \u00a3257m) of frozen Libyan funds.<\/p>\n

However, correspondents say there is no sign of any progress in the rebel requests to unfreeze Libyan assets in the US.<\/p>\n

In other developments:<\/p>\n