By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Guinea Bissau Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior said Libya’s deposed strongman Muammar Gaddafi would be welcomed “with open arms” in the African country.
“The Libyan guide Muammar Gaddafi deserves all the respect of our government who will host him with open arms. He will be welcome in our country, if he needs exile in our country,” Gomes Junior was quoted as saying by radio station Radio Diffusion Portuguese.
Guinea Bissau has not ratified the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Gaddafi.
The West African nation, known for its chronic political and military instability, had strong ties with Gaddafi’s regime, which invested widely in hotels, agriculture and cashew nuts – the country’s main export.
Gaddafi visited the country in 2009, and provided support to the presidential campaign of President Malam Bacai Sanha. He has also provided uniforms to the Guinea Bissau army and renovated several of its military barracks.