950815

Libya rejects

Egyptian

expulsion charge

TRIPOLI: Libyan television rejected on Sunday accusations by Cairo that Tripoli was expelling Egyptian workers.

It cited the Egyptian charge d' affaires in Libya as saying that Egyptian workers were receiving "close attention from the Libyan authorities."

The Egyptian envoy, according to Libyan television, said that Egyptain Foreign Minister Amr Mussa had spoken by telephone to Libyan Minister for Unity Jomaa al-Fazzani in order to "clear up any misunderstanding."

The Egyptain head of customs at the Sallum border post, Mohammad al-Adl, said on Thursday that some 2,500 Egyptains had been thrown out of Libya in the preceding 48 hours.

Tripoli said Friday it had taken to measures againt the Egyptians.

"There are nearly 1.5 million Egyptian workers (in Libya) cooperating with their Libyan brothers in developing the country," Fazzani said then.

Mussa said in a statement on Friday that his ministry was "in contact with Libyan officials in order to stop the explusions of Eygptian citizens." He added that Fazzani had admitted to the explusions, saying that all the Egyptians came from one region in Libya, which he did not identify.

Fazzani said their explusion "was linked to situation in this region," Mussa said.

Earlier Sunday a Palestinian representative in Algiers accused Libyan authorities of rounding up Palestianian workers in Libya under very difficult humanitarian conditions with a view to their explusion.-APP