Libyan leaders entrenched in the status quo and it ‘seems to suit them,’ UN says

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Updated 16 February 2024
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Libyan leaders entrenched in the status quo and it ‘seems to suit them,’ UN says

  • Special envoy Abdoulaye Bathily says the population is frustrated with the failure of their leaders to steer the country toward peace
  • Divisions remain between factions over draft legislation for elections, more than two years after voting was indefinitely postponed

NEW YORK CITY: Thirteen years after the revolution that toppled Muammar Qaddafi’s regime, Libya continues to grapple with political turmoil and the elusive quest for sustainable peace and democracy, the UN’s special envoy to the country said on Thursday.

Abdoulaye Bathily lamented the entrenched nature of the status quo in Libya, and the continuing deadlock among key institutional leaders that has hindered progress towards long-awaited national elections.

Speaking during a Security Council meeting ahead of the anniversary of the 2011 Libyan revolution on Feb. 17, Bathily described widespread frustration among the Libyan people about the failure of their leaders to steer the country toward peace and progress.

He said that despite the completion in 2023 of work by the 6+6 Joint Committee of the House of Representatives and High State Council to develop a constitutional and legal framework for elections, none of the major factions in the country “have made a decisive move from their initial position, with each continuing to articulate preconditions for their participation in the dialogue as a way to maintain the status quo, which seems to suit them.”

The political impasse continues between the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, and the Government of National Stability in the east of the country, which is led by Prime Minister Osama Hamad and aligned with the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army under the command of Gen. Khalifa Haftar.

The deadlock between these rival governments has persisted since the indefinite postponement of elections initially scheduled for December 2021. Mediation efforts since then have focused on facilitating an agreement on a new road map for national elections to unify the government.

In March 2023, the HoR and the GNU-aligned High State Council established the 6+6 Joint Committee, comprising six representatives from each body, and tasked it with drafting the electoral laws required to enable elections. However, leaders of the two groups failed to reach agreement on various aspects of the draft legislation.

Outlining the diverging views, Bathily said that while the HoR’s speaker Aguila Saleh prioritizes the formation of a unified government, emphasizes the need for the HoR to be established as the sole legitimate political body, and says he will only participate if the two rival governments are either included or excluded altogether, Mohammed Takala, the president of the High State Council, has rejected electoral laws published by the HoR and advocates reverting to an earlier version of the legislation.

Dbeiba, for his part, insists on remaining in office until elections are held under the supervision of the GNU. Meanwhile Haftar and Mohammed Al-Menfi, the head of Libya’s Presidential Council, have differing views on the inclusion of both governments in talks.

“The way forward requires that all issues that prevented elections from taking place in 2021 be resolved through negotiations and a political settlement between the key institutional stakeholders,” said Bathily, as he urged all factions to engage in talks without preconditions.

He also highlighted the need to address the fears and concerns of stakeholders, including the need for a temporary mechanism to ensure the “transparent management and equitable distribution of resources, safeguards to provide a level playing field for all candidates, and guarantees that elections do not result in a winner-takes-all scenario to the detriment of the others.”

Bathily underscored the importance of regional support for Libya and reiterated his call for a “unified and coordinated approach” by the international community.

The human rights, humanitarian needs and protection of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are also of growing concern, he added, citing reports of a significant increase in the numbers of Sudanese refugees entering Libya in recent weeks.

UN agencies continue to have only limited access to refugees at Libya’s border with Sudan and in official detention centers, Bathily said, and he called on Libyan authorities to “ensure full, unhindered access to all persons in need of protection.”

He expressed alarm at the continuing “collective expulsions of migrants and refugees across the borders between Libya and neighboring countries,” and reiterated his call for authorities in all of the countries involved “to end forced expulsions, which are violations of international law.”

He also repeated his calls for “full access and independent investigations into all alleged violations and abuses in Libyan detention facilities, including in Bir Al-Ghanam and Al-Assa detention facilities, where the situation is particularly dire.”


No injuries or pollution after explosion at oil tanker off Libya, says operator

Updated 3 sec ago
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No injuries or pollution after explosion at oil tanker off Libya, says operator

ATHENS: An oil tanker carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil suffered an explosion off Libya on June 27 but no injuries or pollution were reported, a spokesperson for the operator TMS Tankers said on Monday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Vilamoura had left Libya’s Zuetina port and was en route to Gibraltar when there was an explosion in the engine room, the operator said.
The vessel is now being towed to Greece where it is expected to arrive by July 2, it added.


Israel FM says Golan to ‘remain part of’ Israel in any Syria peace deal

Updated 18 min 34 sec ago
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Israel FM says Golan to ‘remain part of’ Israel in any Syria peace deal

  • Golan Heights “will remain part of” Israel under any potential peace agreement with Syria, Israel's FM says

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Monday that the occupied Golan Heights “will remain part of” Israel under any potential peace agreement with Syria.
“In any peace agreement, the Golan will remain part of the State of Israel,” Saar told a news conference in Jerusalem, referring to the territory Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognized by the United Nations.
 


Iranian Ambassador: Saudi Arabia Played Key Role in Preventing Escalation

Updated 56 min 34 sec ago
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Iranian Ambassador: Saudi Arabia Played Key Role in Preventing Escalation

Nearly two years after Iran and Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations, Iran’s Ambassador to the Kingdom, Dr. Alireza Enayati, praised Riyadh’s role in reducing tensions and fostering dialogue.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Enayati described the progress as “equivalent to achievements that typically take years,” underscoring what he called the “deep roots and substance” of the relationship.

Enayati, who first served in Saudi Arabia as Iran’s consul in Jeddah in 1990 and later as chargé d’affaires in Riyadh, returned in 2023 as ambassador following the March agreement brokered by China to resume ties after seven years of rupture.

Commenting on recent Israeli strikes against Iran, Enayati called the attacks “blatant aggression,” noting that they took place while Tehran was engaged in indirect negotiations with Washington.

“Iran was attacked in the middle of the night, while people slept in their homes. It was our legitimate right under the UN Charter to respond decisively and demonstrate that while Iran does not seek war, it will defend itself with strength and resolve,” he said.

He emphasized that regional reactions to the escalation highlighted a spirit of solidarity.

“The first call our Foreign Minister received was from Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, condemning the attacks, followed by a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry,” he noted. “These positions were crowned by a phone call from His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to President Pezeshkian, expressing condemnation and solidarity, followed by President Pezeshkian’s call back to the Crown Prince and statements of support from several Gulf states.”

Enayati commended Riyadh’s efforts to de-escalate the crisis, describing Saudi Arabia’s role as “honorable” and “blessed.” He added, “In all our bilateral discussions, Iran has acknowledged the Kingdom’s constructive stance and its efforts to prevent further aggression. We welcome any role by our Saudi brothers, especially His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed, who has always stood by us.”

The ambassador pointed to the revival of travel and religious exchange as a sign of rapprochement. “This year alone, over 200,000 Iranians have performed Umrah, and when including Hajj pilgrims, the number exceeds 400,000 visitors to the Kingdom - an extremely positive indicator,” he said.

Enayati also highlighted the recent visit of Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman to Tehran, describing it as a “historic turning point” that shifted relations from routine to strategic. “The visit and the meetings with President Pezeshkian and the Supreme Leader left a strong impression that we are partners in building regional stability,” he said.

While acknowledging significant progress, Enayati stressed that economic and trade relations still require more effort. “We have agreements on trade, investment, culture, and youth reaffirmed in the Beijing accord,” he said, adding that talks are under way on agreements to avoid double taxation, promote mutual investment, and develop overland transport corridors linking Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to Central Asia.

Responding to criticism that Iran plays a destabilizing role, Enayati said: “We are not outsiders imposing our presence. We are part of the region, its people, and its culture. Differences in political perspectives do not erase our shared bonds. Dialogue is the only path forward, and there is no substitute.”

He concluded by emphasizing that genuine regional security must be anchored in development and economic cooperation rather than military competition. “When security moves beyond weapons and geopolitics to focus on prosperity and shared progress, everyone benefits,” he said.


Israelis attack soldiers in occupied West Bank

Updated 30 June 2025
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Israelis attack soldiers in occupied West Bank

  • Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war

JERUSALEM: Israeli civilians assaulted security forces and vandalized military vehicles and a security installation outside an army base overnight in the occupied West Bank, the military said on Monday.

According to Israeli media, settlers targeted the commander of the Binyamin Regional Brigade base in the central West Bank, calling him a “traitor.”

The officer was among troops attacked on Friday night as they tried to stop settlers entering a closed military zone near the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik. Six civilians were arrested following the clashes.

“Dozens of Israeli civilians gathered at the entrance” of the brigade’s base on Sunday evening, the military said in a statement Monday.

“The gathering became violent and some of the civilians at the scene attacked the security forces, sprayed pepper spray at them, and vandalized military vehicles,” it added.

“The IDF (military), police, and border guards intervened to disperse the gathering,” the statement added, noting one Israeli citizen was injured in the confrontation.

In another statement a few hours later, the army said that “Israeli civilians set fire to and vandalized a security site containing systems that contribute to thwarting terrorist attacks” near the base.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar strongly condemned “any violence against the IDF and security forces.”

“Such events are unacceptable, and offenders must be severely punished,” he wrote on X.

“The IDF and security forces work day and night to protect the citizens of Israel and ensure its security. We must support them, not hinder their activities, and under no circumstances attack them,” he added.

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right finance minister, a staunch supporter of the settlements who calls for the annexation of the West Bank, also condemned the violence against security forces and the destruction of property, saying a “red line” had been crossed.

In a post on X, he urged the police to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice.

Several human rights NGOs have denounced the rise in violence committed by settlers in the West Bank and their perceived impunity.

Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023.


Sudan refugees face deepening hunger as funds dry up: UN

Updated 30 June 2025
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Sudan refugees face deepening hunger as funds dry up: UN

  • The WFP warned support to Sudanese refugees in Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya and the Central African Republic “may grind to a halt in the coming months as resources run dry"

KHARTOUM: Millions of people displaced by the war in Sudan are at risk of falling deeper into crisis as funding for food aid dwindles, the UN’s World Food Programme warned Monday.
Since April 2023, war between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has created the world’s largest displacement crisis, with more than 10 million people displaced inside the country.
Another four million have fled across borders, mainly to Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.
“This is a full-blown regional crisis that’s playing out in countries that already have extreme levels of food insecurity and high levels of conflict,” said Shaun Hughes, WFP’s emergency coordinator for the Sudan regional crisis.
The United Nations says its humanitarian response plan for Sudan — also the world’s largest hunger crisis — is only 14.4 percent funded.
A UN conference in Spain this week aims to rally international donors, following deep funding shortfalls that have affected relief operations globally.
The WFP warned support to Sudanese refugees in Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya and the Central African Republic “may grind to a halt in the coming months as resources run dry.”
In Egypt, which hosts around 1.5 million people who fled Sudan, food aid for 85,000 refugees — 36 percent of those previously supported — had already been cut.
Without new funding, the WFP warned, all assistance to the most vulnerable refugees would be suspended by August.
In Chad, where more than 850,000 people have fled but find little help in overwhelmed camps, the WFP said food rations would be reduced even further.
Around 1,000 refugees continue to arrive in Chad each day from Sudan’s western Darfur region, where famine has already been declared and displacement camps regularly come under attack.
“Refugees from Sudan are fleeing for their lives and yet are being met with more hunger, despair, and limited resources on the other side of the border,” said Hughes.
“Food assistance is a lifeline for vulnerable refugee families with nowhere else to turn.”
Inside Sudan, more than eight million people are estimated to be on the brink of famine, with nearly 25 million suffering dire food insecurity.