‘Significant step’ for Libya compensation
A groundbreaking meeting between Libyan diplomats and campaigners seeking compensation for the victims of Tripoli-backed IRA terrorism has been hailed as a significant step toward a settlement.
Democratic Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson described his party’s first ever direct encounter with representatives from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s government as very productive.
Mr Donaldson was accompanied by DUP colleague Nigel Dodds to the talks at the Libyan embassy in London.
The party has been lobbying on behalf of bereaved relatives who are seeking a multi-million pound pay out from the north African state for its role in providing arms and explosives to the IRA during the Troubles.
The 45-minute meeting marked the first occasion the Libyan authorities have engaged with anyone representing the campaign.
“This was a very significant step forward for the victims,” Mr Donaldson said afterwards. “This is a step in the process that will hopefully lead to a settlement of this issue.”
The Lagan Valley MP said the diplomats had undertaken to compile a report on the discussions and send it to senior officials in Colonel Gaddafi’s administration in Tripoli.
The bid for damages has gained momentum in the last two months since the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi from a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has offered Foreign Office support to the families who are hoping to travel to Tripoli to make their case in person.
Mr Donaldson said he had told the Libyan officials that if they wanted to further improve relations with the UK the issue of compensation would have to be sorted.
“We stated to the Libyan representatives that what we wanted was to bring closure to this issue and reach a settlement so the families could move on.” he said.
“We will now await a response from Tripoli.”
Libya has already paid out damages to American victims of the Lockerbie bombing.
“The Libyans listened to what he had to say during what were fruitful discussions and why we felt it was important that British victims were treated in the same way as America victims,” Mr Donaldson added.
The meeting comes amid a controversy at Stormont after it emerged that police officers in Northern Ireland had been sent to Tripoli to train their counterparts in the north African country.
Ian Paisley Jnr, a DUP member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, approved the decision to send the first police officer out.
But on Monday his party leader and First Minister Peter Robinson said the DUP would not tolerate any more officers from Northern Ireland travelling to Libya until the compensation claim was addressed.
