Libya: Why The High Council Of State (HCS) Wants To Develop Political And Security Acumen Now – OpEd

The High Council of State (HCS)  discussed political and security developments in Libya, including what it described as the divergence of the Government of National Unity (GNU) from the roadmap devised in the Geneva forum. The country faces a lack of transparency, its failure to be subject to accountability sessions or hearings, and its violations towards the legislative competencies of the existing councils, which included the statement of oil production, its expenditures, and revenues, in addition to the opening of the real estate registry, which was closed by a law from the Transitional Council, and its failure to carry out the preliminary procedures for elections, especially with regard to purifying the registry, which was committed by the GNU by signing long-term agreements that are binding for the Libyan state.

A Libyan mobile phone was hacked. At first, the system was operating normally, but after the country’s development was discussed by Parliament, the company was hacked. But the Telecom Holding Company denied any data leakage related to the users of a company, but the company was subjected to electronic attacks, and the company explained that the data that was attacked was related to the internal system of the employees within it and not the call log or the social networking accounts of the users. We can see from this that the government used new technology to control the country.

The company has formed a cybersecurity team to confront such attacks and protect the data of Libyan citizens, but the power of the government and militias is much greater than the power of the internal system. The Libyan website was hacked. Hackers seized data related to financial and accounting documents, personal information, passport data, auditor reports, strategic information, marketing data, and non-disclosure documents. And contracts from the Libyan company, a record of correspondence and conversations with the company’s management.

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court issued four new secret arrest warrants for crimes allegedly committed in Libya, he applied for two additional arrest warrants, but the judges have not yet decided on these two requests. The memoranda are currently being adhered to, stating that a team from the International Criminal Court will visit Libya in the coming days to discuss opening an office for the International Criminal Court in coordination with the Libyan authorities, stressing that the International Criminal Court is “in contact with the families of the victims and survivors of violations in Libya and that the International Court sent 20 missions and collected more than 500 pieces of evidence, including audio clips, videos, and satellite images documenting war crimes in Libya. The International Criminal Court confirmed that the Libyan government of national unity must cooperate with the International Criminal Court.

On adherence to the arms embargo in Libya, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, affirmed his appreciation for the continued efforts of the European Union, under mandates from the Security Council, and that all Libyan, regional, and international parties take the necessary steps to ensure strict compliance with the arms embargo and the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, including the action plan and the withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces.

“In accordance with paragraph 24 (b) of resolution 1973 (2011), the Security Council authorized the Panel of Experts to collect, examine, and analyze this information and to provide reports to the Council, relevant partners, and stakeholders, in particular the Libyan authorities that remain important in the implementation of authorizations.” That all member states can complete the efforts of Operation IRINI through inspection in their territories, including at ports and airports, of goods destined for or coming from Libya.

Focusing on training and building the capacity of members of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy, as well as Libyan port and customs authorities, in accordance with the arms embargo, and the inclusion of safeguards to protect human rights, are important in this regard.

The Libyan Ministry of Interior also announced that the ministry’s border guards succeeded in rescuing 62 migrants near the Libyan-Tunisian border after they got lost in the desert.

The ministry confirmed that the desert security patrols of the border guards, which are in charge of securing the Libyan-Tunisian border with a length of 200 km, rescued the migrants from Ras Jedir to Wazen, and that the rescued migrants were of different nationalities, and the government found them in separate groups in the desert, and health care was provided. They were detained at the security border crossing until they were referred to the specialized authorities.

In the end, chaos is still going on in Libya, including oil, security, and illegal immigration, so the parliament must demand legislation on the internal security file.