The leaders of Britain and France arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Thursday, the first foreign leaders to visit the North African country since the ouster of longtime dictator Col. Moammar Gadhafi.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are scheduled to meet the head of the country’s National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil.
They also will travel to Benghazi, the largest city in the east that served as the rebels’ de facto capital.
Britain and France led the NATO operations in Libya that helped the rebels topple the Gadhafi regime. Cameron vowed that the NATO mission would continue “as long as necessary” to help “find Qaddafi and bring him to justice” while urging fighters who are still loyal to the deposed leader to “give up.” The New York Times highlights that France was the first country that recognized the rebels and Sarkozy was quick to highlight that the commitment will not end. “As long as peace is threatened, France will be on your side,” he said.