Ghana on Friday announced that it has extended diplomatic recognition to the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) as the legitimate ruling authority in that country.

In an official statement here, the Deputy Minister of Information, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said in arriving at the decision, the government had “taken due account of the political and security situation in Libya particularly, the NTC’s effective control over a greater part of the country and the commitment of the NTC to democratic and pluralistic elections”.

Ghana called on the NTC “to work towards a fast and smooth transition to constitutional and democratic governance and ensure the safety and protection of African immigrants in Libya”.

The NTC now controls nearly all of the North African country and plans to start operating from Tripoli, the Libyan capital, soon.