Libya: Foreign Parties Attempt To Foment Political Stability – OpEd

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Halima Abdel Rahman, the Minister of Justice of the Government of National Unity, has discussed with Richard Norland, the US Special Envoy to Libya, many issues about human rights, national reconciliation, and the integrity of the Libyan judiciary.

When Caroline Hurndall, the United Kingdom’s (UK) ambassador to Libya, visited Benghazi, she met with Khalifa Haftar, House of Representatives’ Speaker Aqila Saleh, and a number of political and social leaders, activists, and representatives of a number of local companies in the region and eastern Libya. The discussion focused on the economy and strengthening relations between the UK and Libya.

Economic growth was a major subject, from visiting Benghazi’s port to meeting with local businesses. Also there was a call for greater transparency in government spending across Libya. Moreover, Hurndall emphasized that it is their responsibility to commit constructively to a political process that leads to elections and long-term stability for Libya.

While Mohammed Menfi, the head of the Presidential Council, discussed with Abdoulaye Bathily, the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, developments in the work of the 6 + 6 joint committee to complete electoral laws leading to the achievement of freedom, he also discussed the active Libyan parties on the priorities of the stage.

In addition, the smuggling of migrants has not stopped in Libya. On May 31, 2023, 14 illegal migrants from African nationalities were found lost in the desert in the border area with Tunisia. The patrols of the border guards tasked with securing the Libyan-Tunisian border found the migrants between the two points “Dahr Al-Khas and Tawil Al-Ratba.” Migrants found in the headquarters of Al-Assa district after they were referred to the competent authorities after receiving health care.

The Italian Chief of Staff, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, stated that the Russian military Wagner group has significant power in Libya, the Central African Republic, and Burkina Faso, as they are stationed near Libyan mines and oil fields.

Dragone added in a statement reported by the Italian news agency AKI that, with the passage of time, Wagner’s presence is increasingly becoming evident as a political and military force.

On the other hand, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah wanted to discuss the developments of the ongoing security operation in the western region to combat criminal gangs, the drug and arms trade, human trafficking, and fuel smuggling abroad in the presence of the Chief of the General Staff. Dbeibah invited the commander of the Coast Guard and Ports Security, the commander of the Western Region Intelligence.

Mohammed Haddad, the commander of the West Coast military zone and the commander of the security committee assigned by the Chief of Staff to develop the security plan in the western region. Dbeibah added the operations’ commitment to the precise professional rules undertaken by the Air Force, the  tasks assigned to it, and its coordination with the rest of the military elements and intelligence agencies. While 

Haddad noted the readiness of the armed forces to carry out their tasks in order to preserve the security of citizens, and rid the country of armed gangs and presented the airstrikes, their details, and the achieved goals. The monitoring of security operations in the coming stages according to the security plan until achieving the desired goals also the military operations in the west coast region launched by the government on May 25 against the hideouts of fuel and drug smuggling gangs and human and weapons traffickers. The operations included the destruction of seven boats used for human trafficking, six warehouses for drug dealers, weapons and equipment, and nine tanks used to smuggle fuel abroad.

Aqila Saleh also stressed the need to form a government that has the ability to impose its authority at the national level, to work during the coming period to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in accordance with the decisions of the 6 + 6 joint committee in Morocco.

The meeting with UN envoy to Libya Abdoulaye Bathily and the Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) Aqila Saleh in Al-Gubba discussed the recent political developments to encourage the 6+6 Committee to keep their discussions exclusive to the Libyan people and make their announcement on Libyan soil as a sign of transparency and respect. As a sign of transparency and respect, he agreed to complete the committee’s task, making sure laws were implementable because transparent elections are the only viable solution to overcome the current crisis and build a solid foundation for a prosperous future for all Libyans.

Prof. Miral Sabry AlAshry

Prof. Miral Sabry AlAshry is Co-lead for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at the Centre for Freedom of the Media, the Department of Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield.

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