United States (US) Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, welcomed the appointment by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Guterres, of Abdoulaye Bathily as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
On Saturday, the US State Department said that the outbreak of violence in Tripoli in August underscored the unsustainability of the situation in Libya. The violence in Tripoli affirmed the need for all sides to work in good faith and with a sense of urgency to reach agreement on a constitutional framework and concrete timeline for elections.
Blinken confirmed that the US will provide full support to Special Representative Bathily as he mediates the Libya-led political process. He called upon the international community to work in lockstep with the Special Representative.
The Libyan people have demanded an opportunity to choose their leaders through free and fair elections, which are essential to confer legitimacy and ensure accountability for a new government.
Blinked added that the US encourages Bathily to prioritise efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in Libya’s state institutions. He recalled the the work of the UN ceasefire of monitoring mission as it assists the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC 5+5) in overseeing the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries.
On Saturday, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, announced the appointment of former Senegalese Minister and UN diplomat, Abdoulaye Bathily, to be the new UN Envoy to Libya after the Security Council gave its approval. The UN’s Chief’s decision to appoint Bathily as the UN Envoy came after a nine-month search amid increasing chaos in the oil-rich north African nation.
Libya’s transitional government, which opposed Bathily’s nomination, reportedly sent a protest letter to Guterres, which raises questions about how effective the new envoy can be in trying to resolve the country’s political and economic crisis.
The last UN Special Representative, Ján Kubiš, resigned on November 23rd, 2021, after 10 months on the job, and a number of candidates proposed by Guterres were rejected by council members, Libya, or neighbouring countries.
Libya’s conflicting two governments welcomed the appointment of Bathily, pledging that they will work to facilitate his mission in Libya.