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Libya - 8710th Security Council Meeting
We’re ‘Sick and Tired’ of Being World’s Proxy Battleground, Representative Stresses, amid Concerns for Neighbouring States
The senior United Nations official in Libya expressed outrage in the Security Council today over the conduct of actors inside and outside the country who nod towards peace yet double down on military actions, as delegates called for an end to foreign meddling and for upholding the arms embargo as part of a broader plan to stop the spiralling conflict.
Briefing Council members from Brazzaville, Congo, Ghassan Salamé, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), recalled that representatives of countries and regions attending the 19 January Berlin Conference on Libya — the second step of the three‑step initiative presented to the Council on 29 July — agreed not to interfere in Libya’s internal affairs and to abide by the United Nations arms embargo.
“Berlin was a serious effort to try to unify a discordant international community,” he said, noting that the truce called by the Presidents of the Russian Federation and Turkey on 8 January provided the backdrop. While the violence initially subsided, exchanges of artillery fire have since increased significantly in Tripoli. Outside the capital city, troops of General Khalifa Haftar’s LNA attacked Government of National Accord forces in Abu Grain, prompting heavy clashes.
Warning that military reinforcements on both sides raise the spectre of a conflict engulfing the wider region, he said it is imperative that the Joint Military Commission — five members of which were proposed by sides — meet under United Nations auspices to transform the truce into a ceasefire. It is also essential that the Council find its unity, he emphasized. “Too much is at stake, including our collective credibility.”
Mathias Licharz (Germany), Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya, reported that its Panel of Experts expressed concerns over non-implementation of the arms embargo. Repeated violations were reported, as well as attacks against civilians, he added. Regarding the freeze on assets, he reported that the Committee took no negative decision in relation to a notification by Bahrain concerning basic expenses of the Libyan Investment Authority.
In the ensuing discussion, Libya’s representative said that meddling countries that fear his country’s independence are prepared to kill Libyan children in pursuit of their national interests. The Secretary-General’s report outlines the magnitude of crimes committed by General Haftar and his supporting parties, who called for jihad against Tripoli, he recalled, remarking: “This is unprecedented.” With a Council-supported national congress days away, equipment and mercenaries have been procured from Chad, Sudan and elsewhere, he said, adding that bombs continue to target hospitals and homes, yet the Council neither names nor shames the perpetrators.
“These are violations and crimes,” he insisted, citing a Panel of Experts report that outlines the supply of drones and aerial support systems by the United Arab Emirates to one party to the conflict. Several Emirati companies are recruiting Sudanese youth and deploying them to Libya, he added, asking: “Are they not supporting a coup d’état?” Referring to Egypt, he asked how a “big brother” can support those killing Arabs. Stressing that Libya cannot accept a partial peace, he questioned the practical value of international efforts to monitor and follow up on violations if they amount to mere words.
“We are sick and tired of being the proxy battleground of the world,” he said, underlining the vital role of the African Union, which some seek “to push out into the cold”. He also expressed gratitude to Congo for hosting the African Union High-Level Summit and welcomed that country’s support for African solidarity in the drive towards reconciliation in Libya. Some often use the fight against terrorism as a pretext to justify their actions, he noted. Libya has always cooperated in that fight, he added, citing the liberation of Sirte from Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) as an example. Armed groups are also a pretext used to justify the extension of external financial support, he said, while pointing out that some of them are tribal in nature and others ideologically based. “You can’t put them all in the same basket,” he insisted.
Turning to sanctions, he stressed that Libya does not wish to see the asset freeze lifted at this stage and calls instead for a slight easing of that measure to prevent annual losses amounting to tens of millions of dollars. The freezing of assets belonging to companies affiliated with the Libyan National Authority is a misstep that, hopefully, can be corrected, he said. Recalling that the country came close to achieving reconciliation, he said the battle being waged today is not between east and west, but one carried out by a single individual in his quest for power. However, Libya will eventually reconcile, and with the rule of law in place, pursue those responsible for sowing discord, he vowed.
Niger’s representative noted that the fighting in Libya was exacerbated by interference on the part of foreign States. “Libya does not need a transfer of weapons and foreign fighters, but it needs peace,” he emphasized. Welcoming the outcome of the 23 January Algiers meeting on Libya, which brought together neighbouring countries, as well as Germany, he described it as a good gesture in the search for the inclusiveness that Niger has always sought.
Tunisia’s representative, noting his country’s historical links with Libya, expressed full support for its efforts to surmount the current crisis and restore stability. Tunisia rejects external interference that further inflames the conflict, he stressed, while welcoming the convening of the African Union High‑Level Committee meeting in Brazzaville.
South Africa’s representative emphasized that insecurity in the Sahel is a result of instability in Libya, pointing out that the region has witnessed weapons flowing to armed groups in neighbouring countries, fuelling a jihadist insurgency, displacing more than 1 million people, threatening the African Union’s “Silence the Guns by 2020” initiative and forcing countries to divert limited development resources into security-related efforts. The Council must be frank about the genesis of the conflict, he stressed.
In similar vein, the Russian Federation’s representative pointed out that the situation did not begin in April 2019, but in 2011, when Libya’s statehood was destroyed. From the outset, he recalled, the Russian Federation has called for a focus on unifying Libya and consolidating external stakeholders to stabilize the situation. The Russian Federation works on the premise that Libyans themselves must find a solution, he said, emphasizing that his country “has no hidden agenda” and does not favour any of the stakeholders, having conveyed to all of them its support for a political solution.
The representative of the United States noted that the commitments made in Berlin are already under threat, adding that it is past time those who have violated Council resolutions, including the arms embargo, face real consequences. She demanded that they implement the arms embargo and immediately halt the deployment of all personnel and equipment to Libya. She went on to underline that no group should be allowed to hijack oil production, while also calling for an end to threats against aviation and for displaced people to be allowed a safe return home.
China’s representative emphasized the importance of respecting Libya’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Stressing the need for unremitting efforts to combat terrorism, he said the international community must work together to guard against the cross-border movements of foreign terrorist fighters.
Indonesia’s representative called upon the international community to provide honest support “without any hidden agenda”. He also underlined the need for Libyans to benefit from their own natural resources, expressing concern in that regard over the ongoing blockade of ports.
The representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines emphasized the need to consider all affected neighbouring countries. She encouraged all efforts to establish a Libyan-owned and -led dialogue, including those of the Russian Federation, as well as the meetings held in Algiers and Brazzaville.
Also speaking today were representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Dominican Republic, Belgium, Germany, Estonia and Viet Nam.
The meeting began at 10:08 a.m. and ended at 12:15 p.m.
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