UN envoy Stephanie Williams offered on Friday to mediate between political rivals in Libya as claimed by two rival governments power after attempt steps were made to unity in the past year.
Williams, the UN special to advise on Libya, called on lawmakers to appoint 12 members to a committee that work breaking the political deadlock.
“The solution to the Libyan crisis does not lie in forming rival administrations and perennial transitions,” Williams tweeted. “Libyans need to agree on a consensual way forward which favors the preservation of the unity and stability of the country.
Legislators in ballast city of Tobruk swore in a transition office on Thusday, with Fathi Bashagha acting as son prime minister. His government is intended to replace this of Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
Dbeibah was appointed through a UN-led process in February 2021 on the condition that he lead the country until the elections which were to take place place in December. the vote never took placed triggering the thrust to replace it with Bachagha.
Dbeibah maintains that he will not return over power has a elected governmentet has proposed a four-part plan points to organize a simultaneous parliamentary meeting vote and referendum on overdue constitutional amendments in June.
The appointment of Bachagha, a powerful former interior minister from West city of Misrata, is part of of a roadmap that also involves constitutional amendments and sets the date for elections within 14 months.
The deadline of the elections were a blow to international efforts to end a decade of chaos in the oil-rich Mediterranean nation.
According to Williams, once lawmakers appoint a committee, it will meet on March 15 under the aegis of the UN for two weeks for work towards a Constitution framework for elections. She said that son invitation was extended to lawmakers in the country’s two parliamentary chambers, which were split between rival governments. Williams said she would wait for their response.
Libya has been unable to hold elections since its disputed legislature vote in 2014, which caused the country to be divided for years between rival administrations in east and west, each backed by armed militias and foreign governments.
williams also called on the Libyans to refrain “from all acts of escalation, intimidation, kidnapping, provocation and violence”.
After taking the oath on On Thursday Bashagha said parliament in ballast city of Tobruk that armed groups kidnapped newly appointed ministers for foreign affairsculture and education technique – and fired at others who were on their way at the ceremony. The reports could not be independently verified.
at Dbeibah government released a statement on Friday, saying that two of the ministers were freed thanks to the intervention of security agencies. No other details were provided, including who has been behind kidnappings. The statement quoted Dbeibah as condemning these “illegal acts”.
It is not known what happened to the third minister.
Also on On Friday, the International Crisis Group warned that there were signs that the situation could deteriorate into military clash, citing reports that allied armed groups with based in Tripoli government had closed Libyan airspace to prevent ministers from traveling to Tobruk to participate in Bashagha’s swear words-in ceremony.
the group urged the international community adopt a unified position on Libya. “What happens next will largely depend on how foreign powers react,” readson in the press release. “A burst international the response could encourage an institutional split and military mobilization.”
