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STORY: UN / LIBYA
TRT: 03:50
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 19 FEBRUARY 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, aerial view of the United Nations headquarters
19 FEBRUARY 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs:
“Following successful local elections in 56 municipalities in November 2024, the High National Elections Commission has begun preparations for the next group of 63 municipal council elections. The preliminary candidate nomination phase has concluded, with over 4,900 candidates nominated, out of whom 1,345 are women.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs:
“On the security front, the activities of non-State and quasi-State armed actors continue to pose a threat to Libya’s fragile stability. Check against delivery 4 On12 February, the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Mr. Adel Juma, was injured in an armed attack on his car in Tripoli. We call for a full and transparent investigation to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.”
6. Med shot, Taher El Sonni of Libya
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs:
“Migrants and asylum-seekers, including children, continue to face serious human rights violations across Libya, including torture and cruel and inhumane treatment. The alarming and tragic discovery of mass graves following raids on human trafficking sites highlights the severe danger faced by migrants in Libya.”
8. Med shot, Taher El Sonni of Libya
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs:
“On 7 February, a mass grave was discovered on a farm in Jikharra in northeastern Libya and a day later another mass grave in Al-Kufra in the southeast. To date, 93 bodies have been exhumed in Jikharra and Al-Kufra district. A full and independent investigation is critical to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
10. Med shot, USG Rosemary DiCarlo
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs:
“The fragile stability in Libya is increasingly at risk. The country’s leaders and security actors are failing to put the national interest ahead of their competition for political and personal gain.”
12. Wide shot, Taher El Sonni of Libya
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Taher El Sonni, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Libya:
“14 years have passed since Libya was placed under Chapter Seven, and as Libyans woke up dreaming of a future of justice and of freedom, a state with the rule of law and institutions. They dreamt of a democratic future, of permanent democratic institutions expressing their choices at the ballot box, unfortunately, alas, since the first day, these dreams have come to nothing in light of numerous crises and conflicts and due to direct or indirect foreign interference in Libya. My country has become a ground for settlement of disputes.”
14. Wide shot, Taher El Sonni of Libya
15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Taher El Sonni, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Libya:
“We have seen the experience of recently held municipal elections around the country. This was a demonstration, a good example as to Libya's ability to ensure electoral processes where there is support and a political will.”
16. Wide shot, end of the 9862nd Security Council meeting
Briefing the Security Council, UN chief of political affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said, “The fragile stability in Libya is increasingly at risk. The country’s leaders and security actors are failing to put the national interest ahead of their competition for political and personal gain.”
The ongoing delay of Libya's national elections, which were supposed to take place in December 2021, has deepened the country's political deadlock. Today (Feb 19) DiCarlo noted progress on the electoral front, highlighting that “following successful local elections in 56 municipalities in November 2024, the High National Elections Commission has begun preparations for the next group of 63 municipal council elections.” She said the nomination phase had concluded with over 4,900 candidates, including 1,345 women.
However, violence remains a significant concern. DiCarlo condemned a recent attack on a government official, saying, “On 12 February, the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Mr. Adel Juma, was injured in an armed attack on his car in Tripoli. We call for a full and transparent investigation to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.”
Human rights abuses continue to escalate, particularly against migrants and asylum seekers. DiCarlo warned that many face “serious human rights violations across Libya, including torture and cruel and inhumane treatment.” She described recent discoveries of mass graves, “On 7 February, a mass grave was discovered on a farm in Jikharra in northeastern Libya and a day later another mass grave in Al-Kufra in the southeast. To date, 93 bodies have been exhumed in Jikharra and Al-Kufra district.”
Calling for accountability, DiCarlo urged authorities to launch a “full and independent investigation” into the mass graves.
Taher El Sonni of Libya attributed lack of judicial progress in his country “to direct or indirect foreign interference.” He said, “My country has become a ground for settlement of disputes.” Sonni also welcomed a round of the municipal elections in the country. “This was a demonstration, a good example as to Libya's ability to ensure electoral processes where there is support and a political will,” he noted.
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