THE UNITED NATIONS — Libyans from rival regions and from all walks of life are fed up with the country’s divisions and want political actors to break their years-long deadlock and agree to hold national elections, a key step for peace in the African country. of the oil-rich North, according to the UN. the deputy representative said Wednesday.
Stéphanie Koury told the UN Security Council that she had met with political leaders, civil society representatives, academics, women’s groups, military leaders and others in the rival countries of the East and West of the country to listen to their points of view. She said there is consensus that the “current status quo is not sustainable” – and that the political process must move towards elections.
Libya has plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed a longtime dictator. Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. In the chaos that followed, the country split, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The country current political crisis This situation stems from the failure of the December 24, 2021 elections and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah – who led a transitional government in the capital Tripoli – to resign. In response, Libya’s eastern-based parliament appointed a rival prime minister who was suspended. The East is now governed by Prime Minister Ossama Hammad while the powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter continues to dominate.
Koury, the top U.N. official in Libya since the resignation of special representative Abdoulaye Bathily in April, said many Libyans she spoke with stressed the importance of a “pact” or an agreement that would, among other things, affirm the respect of the rival parties for the outcome of the elections. They also expressed deep concern over the country’s divisions and parallel governments, and proposed ideas on a road map towards the elections, she said.
“As institutional and political divisions continue to deepen, ordinary Libyans yearn for peace, stability, prosperity and reconciliation,” Koury said. “Libyans need resolute and united action to advance a political process, with the support of the international community. »
In February, Bathily warned the country’s warring political actors that if they did not urgently form a unified government and move toward elections, Libya will sink into “disintegration”.
The three African member countries of the Council – Sierra Leone, Algeria and Mozambique joined by Guyana – said in a joint statement on Wednesday that “the Security Council must remain committed to an inclusive political process led and supported by the Libyans and facilitated by the United Nations… for the holding of national elections.
The four countries called on rival political actors “to move away from entrenched institutional and political positions, resolve their differences, reach consensus and facilitate the holding of national elections.”
Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood said the United States also continues to strongly support the UN political mission’s efforts “to move Libya closer to triggering a viable process leading to elections.” long awaited.”
“Progress toward greater military integration remains essential to reaffirming Libyan sovereignty and preventing Libya from becoming drawn into regional unrest,” he said.
Regarding Russia’s actions in Libya, Wood told the Council that the United States had recently sanctioned “Russian state-owned enterprise Goznak for producing counterfeit currency globally and printing for more than billion dollars in counterfeit Libyan currency, which has exacerbated Libya’s economic challenges.
Libya is under a U.N. arms embargo, and Wood said the United States also notes “with particular concern recent reports that Russian Federation ships are unloading military equipment in Libya.” .
Libyan Ambassador to the UN Taher El-Sonni, who represents the internationally recognized Western government, stressed that national reconciliation is the only way to rebuild social cohesion and trust between rivals, unite the country and to pave the way for elections.
“We are tired and tired of the stalemate and the vicious cycle that we have been going through for decades now,” he said. “We are tired and fed up of hearing sermons about what to do and what not to do” and of the inaction of the Security Council.
“We are tired and fed up of using Libya as a proxy of some countries and regional powers for selfish and greedy battles, some of which have colonial ambitions,” El-Sonni said.
He called on the Security Council to “leave Libya alone” and let the people decide their own future and “take their destiny into their own hands”.
