Evangelicals hope new Libya will respect human rights

The World Evangelical Alliance wants to see Libya transition into a country where the human rights and religious liberty of the people will be respected.

The call came as rebels announced they were moving their leadership base from Benghazi to Tripoli, where battles are still being fought against Gaddafi loyalists.

There were appeals by the UN today for all sides in the conflict to show restraint amid reports of abuses and summary killings by both rebels and loyalists.

It is uncertain when the conflict will end as fierce fighting continues in parts of Tripoli and Col Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte.

The Secretary General of the WEA, Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, said he hoped that the new nation to emerge from the conflict would respect the rights of the people.

“As Libya transitions to a new era after decades of oppression, it is our hope that its new leaders will develop a government that truly represents the aspirations of its people,” he said.

“We believe that a commitment to seek reconciliation, to establish justice based upon internationally accepted legal principles, and to promote human rights and religious liberty for every citizen is in the best interests of all Libyans.”

He appealed to Christians to pray that individuals and families “will flourish in freedom and that as a country, Libya will rejoin the family of nations making a positive contribution towards the challenges we face in the world”.

According to a report in the BBC, the head of the Libyan Stabilisation Team at the country’s National Transitional Council estimates that the reconstruction of Libya’s infrastructure will take at least a decade.

The UN has agreed to free up $1.5bn (£1bn) of frozen Libyan assets to support the immediate humanitarian response.