According to Libyans, the government run telecom company, Libyana, has sent SMS messages to citizens urging them to use violence against foreigners in the country. According to the source, the messages have said that foreigners want to “sow trouble” and “destroy” the country.
A news.com.au report quoted witnesses as saying that the messages were sent by the national company Libyana.
The message in Arabic said foreigners were plotting against Libya.
“These enemies want to sow trouble and destroy our country, Libya, and block our reform and development processes,” read the message.
As violence in Libya continues to spiral towards civil war, the government appears ready to follow Egypt’s former government’s attempts to throw blame on foreign entities. In Egypt, during the revolution there, media and technology were used in an attempt to strike fear of foreigners into the hearts of the civilians, leading to a number of attacks.
But Sara, a 24-year-old UK national of Libyan heritage, in Tripoli said Libyans are too “media savvy to really pay any heed. We are using our limited tech resources to push out a dictator.”
By Jonathan Terry
