UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥 Libyans from rival regions and all walks of life are fed up with the country鈥檚 divisions and want political players to end their years-long impasse and agree to hold national elections, a key step to peace in the oil-rich north African country, the U.N. deputy representative said Wednesday.
Stephanie Koury told the U.N. Security Council that she has been meeting political leaders, civil society representatives, academics, women鈥檚 groups, military leaders and others in the country鈥檚 rival east and west to listen to their views. She said there is consensus that the current 鈥渟tatus quo is not sustainable鈥 鈥 and the political process needs to advance toward elections.
Libya plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator 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鈥檚 stems from the failure to hold elections on Dec. 24, 2021, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah 鈥 who led a transitional government in the capital of Tripoli 鈥 to step down. In response, Libya鈥檚 east-based parliament appointed a rival prime minister who was suspended. The east is now governed by Prime Minister Ossama Hammad while the continues to hold sway.
Koury, the top U.N. official in Libya since the resignation of special representative Abdoulaye Bathily in April, said many Libyans she spoke to signaled the importance of a 鈥減act鈥 or agreement that would affirm, among other things, the rival parties鈥 respect for the outcome of elections. They also expressed deep concern at the country鈥檚 divisions and parallel governments, and provided ideas on a roadmap to elections, she said.
鈥淲hile institutional and political divisions keep deepening, ordinary Libyans long for peace, stability, prosperity and reconciliation,鈥 Koury said. 鈥淩esolute and united action to advance a political process is needed by Libyans with the support of the international community.鈥
In February, Bathily warned the country's feuding political actors that if they didn't urgently form a unified government and move toward elections
The three African nations on the council 鈥 Sierra Leone, Algeria and Mozambique joined by Guyana 鈥 said in a joint statement Wednesday that 鈥渢he Security Council must remain committed to an inclusive Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process facilitated by the United Nations 鈥 for the holding of national elections.鈥
The four countries called on the rival political players 鈥渢o move from the entrenched institutional and political positions, resolve their differences, build consensus and facilitate the holding of national election.鈥
U.S. deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said the United States also continues to firmly support the U.N. political mission鈥檚 efforts 鈥渢o bring Libya closer to unlocking a viable process toward long-overdue elections.鈥
鈥淧rogress toward greater military integration remains key to reaffirming Libyan sovereignty and preventing Libya from becoming enmeshed in regional turmoil,鈥 he said.
Turning to Russia's actions in Libya, Wood told the council the United States recently sanctioned 鈥淩ussian state-owned enterprise Goznak for producing counterfeit currency globally and printing more than $1 billion worth of counterfeit Libyan currency, which exacerbated Libya鈥檚 economic challenges.鈥
Libya is under a U.N. arms embargo, and Wood said the United States also notes 鈥渨ith particular concern the recent reports of Russian Federation naval vessels unloading military hardware in Libya."
Libya鈥檚 U.N. Ambassador Taher El-Sonni, who represents the internationally recognized government in the west, stressed that national reconciliation is the only way to rebuild social cohesion and trust between the rivals, unite the country and pave the way for elections.
鈥淲e are tired and fed up from the stalemate and the vicious cycle that we have been going through for decades now,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e are tired and fed up from being lectured on what to do and what not to do,鈥 and from the Security Council鈥檚 inaction.
鈥淲e are tired and fed up to use Libya as a proxy for certain countries and regional powers for selfish greedy battles, some of which have colonial ambitions,鈥 El-Sonni said.
He called on the Security Council 鈥渢o leave Libya alone鈥 and let the people decide their own future and 鈥渢ake their destiny in their own hands.鈥
