The city of Sirte in Libya. Special Representative for Libya: Efforts to resolve the political conflict in the country have reached a dead end Peace and Security
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, told the Security Council on Tuesday that his efforts to find solutions to the country’s political crisis were met with “stubborn resistance, unreasonable expectations and indifference to the interests of the Libyan people” from key players.
Disregard for the democratic process
Batiley told Security Council members that the five key stakeholders are Chairman of the Supreme State Council Mohamed Takala, Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, Speaker of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, General Khalifa Haftar and Chairman of the Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi did not change their positions on the preconditions for participation in the negotiations.
The Special Representative noted that these conditions contradict previous statements by the parties that they intend to find ways to resolve the conflict with the active participation of the country’s population, guided by the interests of the Libyans.
“From the end of 2022 “Efforts under the auspices of the UN to resolve the political crisis in Libya through elections have encountered opposition at the country and regional levels, which indicates a deliberate neglect of participation in these efforts and a persistence in constantly postponing elections,” Bathili emphasized.
He called on Libyan leaders to reach a political settlement through negotiation and compromise.
“We cannot allow the hopes of 2.8 million registered Libyans voters were overshadowed by the narrow interests of a few people,” added the Special Representative.
Tense situation
Bathily, who also heads the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), highlighted the deteriorating economic situation in the country and, in particular, recalled that the country’s Central Bank is warning of an impending liquidity crisis. “It is critical that Libyan authorities address not only the symptoms, but also the root causes of ongoing negative economic and financial practices,” he said, calling on authorities to quickly agree on a national budget and improve the management of public resources.
In addition, the Special Representative drew attention to the tense security situation in several parts of the country, including in major cities such as Tripoli and Misurata. He also expressed concern about the continued plight of Libyan migrants.
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The rivalry between the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli and the Government of National Stability in the east of the country, which is allied with the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of General Khalifa Haftar, has reached a dead end. The situation has continued since the indefinite postponement of national elections, which were scheduled for December 2021.