UNSMIL

The UN Security Council voted to extend the UN political mandate in Libya by three months, as the United States and Britain accused Russia of blocking a longer and more comprehensive mandate that would include conciliation between the country's rival authorities claiming power. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that Moscow insisted on a three-month extension to pressure UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to immediately appoint a new Special Representative for the mission, known as UNSMIL.…

Libyan General Staff General Muhammad al-Haddad said they would not allow another civil war in Libya amid the ongoing disagreement between the Tripoli-based National Unity Government (GNU) led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah and the Tobruk-based government. Fathi Bashagha, who was appointed Prime Minister by the House of Representatives as the UN continues to hold talks with both sides. Noting that the Libyan military is refraining from engaging in political debates, al-Haddad said they…

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) called on the East-based representatives of the 5 + 5 Joint Military Commission to keep the doors of dialogue open. In a statement, UNSMIL noted that Mission Coordinator Raisedon Zenenga met with the Eastern Commissioners in Benghazi on Wednesday to hear their reasons behind the actions announced in their statement on 9 April. UNSMIL noted that the five JMC members expressed concern about the current situation and raised "pressing and…

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has warned rival parties in Libya to refrain from any military mobilization that could hinder the North African country's path to elections in December. In a written statement shared on Twitter on Thursday, UNSMIL called on all parties to “refrain from mobilizing or deploying security elements and troops that could be perceived as escalating and could undermine the implementation of the ceasefire agreement on 23 October 2020.. ” It further called on all parties…

Delegates from war-torn Libya on Wednesday launched a new round of UN-led talks via video conferencing in order to reach a compromise ahead of planned elections in December. The meeting comes six weeks after unsuccessful negotiations in Switzerland between the 75 participants from all sides gathered for Libya's political dialogue forum. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya was forced to admit that the session failed after four days due to a lack of consensus among the delegates. On Wednesday,…

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Tuesday night that it "condemned" what it describes as the "abduction" of the chief of staff to a senior politician in the capital Tripoli. The kidnapping is the latest in a series of incidents that have called into question the war - torn country's progress towards planned free and fair national polls in December, including a new collapse of talks on an election format. UNSMIL said in a statement on Twitter that it was "deeply concerned about the…

Turkey welcomes the resumption of the strategic road Misrata-Sirte, which connects eastern and western Libya, the Foreign Ministry said late on Saturday. "We welcome the official opening of the Misrata-Sirte coastal road on July 30, 2021, which has been closed for a long time," it said in a statement. Turkey also praised the efforts of the Presidential Council, National Unity Government (GNU), led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, the UN Support Mission in Libya and the 5 + 5 Joint…

Although preparations for Libya's elections at the end of the year have failed for the time being after members of a dialogue forum could not find common ground during the talks, the Libyan premiere on Saturday called for parliamentary and presidential elections at their scheduled time. "We urge all parties and the UN mission to fulfill their obligations to allow the public interest to prevail and to agree on a mechanism to ensure the timely conduct of elections," Abdul Hamid Dbeibah wrote on Twitter.…

Libya's Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) will hold a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland from June 28 to July 1, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Sunday. The personal meeting is an opportunity for members of the LPDF to develop proposals to further facilitate the conduct of national elections on December 24, in particular the constitutional basis for voting, UNSMIL said in a statement. Ahead of the meeting, the LPDF Advisory Committee will be convened from 24-26 June in Tunisia for a preparatory meeting to…

On Thursday, Western nations referred to as on Libya's interim authorities to start preparations for the struggle - torn nation's deliberate elections in December. Libya's caretaker authorities, shaped in March by means of a UN-backed dialogue between Libya, has a mandate to guide the nation to elections on December 24, however formal preparations haven't but begun. "Along with the political and safety preparations, the technical and logistical preparations will likely be vital," a joint assertion from…