The Arab Council extends its warmest congratulations to the legitimate government of Libya, all the revolutionaries of the “Volcano of Wrath” operation, and the entire Libyan people on the major strategic and moral victories achieved in recent weeks, culminating in the complete liberation of the capital, Tripoli, and all of western Libya from the coup militias that had been besieging cities, bombing civilians, and violating sanctities.

The Arab Council believes that this victory opens the door to the rapid unification of the country under the authority of a democratic, independent Libyan state that remains true to the spirit and values of the great February 17 Revolution. It also paves the way for halting the bloodshed of Libyans, returning to a peaceful, civil political process that will result in the adoption of a national constitution and transparent, fair elections, placing the country on a path to stability, peaceful transition, and reconstruction.

The Arab Council calls on the international community to respect the will of the Libyan people, to support the internationally recognized government in its efforts to extend legitimacy across the entire country, and in its pursuit of continuing to build a civil, democratic state that the Libyan people have fought for. The Council also calls for refraining from supporting the coup tendencies that seek to place Libya within an anti-liberation regional equation in the Arab world.

Finally, the Arab Council considers that the victories of the legitimate Libyan government and the revolutionaries of February 17 are a continuation of the Arab Spring movement, which aims to liberate the will of the peoples in the region, rid them of dictatorship, and establish democratic governance and the supremacy of the law. This will have a significant impact on the dire conditions in the region, primarily caused by counter-revolutions hostile to freedom.

The night must pass.

On behalf of the Arab Council,
Dr. Mohamed Moncef Marzouki
President of the Arab Council