Egypt welcomed the appointment of Abdoulaye Bathily, as the new Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Libya, and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that “Cairo reiterates its support for the UN efforts to reach a Libyan-Libyan political solution that leads to an end to the political crisis, and to holding Presidential and Parliamentary elections simultaneously as soon as possible.”
The statement confirmed Egypt’s “support for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, mercenaries, and foreign fighters from Libya within a specific time. In a manner that preserves Libya’s stability, security, unity, and territorial integrity.” It also affirmed the need to “adhere to the legitimate frameworks related to resolving the crisis, and the efforts of the United Nations in this regard.”
“Egypt expressed its full readiness to work with Bathily in order to lead international efforts towards resolving the crisis in Libya, in accordance with a pure Libyan will, that fulfills the aspirations of the Libyan people,” the statement concluded.
On Saturday, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Bathily, a former Senegalese minister and UN diplomat as his new Libya envoy, after the approval of the Security Council. Guterres’ decision to appoint Bathily came after a nine-month search, amid increasing chaos in the oil-rich nation.
Libya’s transitional government, which opposed Bathily’s nomination, reportedly sent a protest letter to Guterres. This raises questions about how effective the new envoy can be, in trying to resolve the country’s political and economic crises.
Bathily’s predecessor, Jan Kubis resigned on 23 November 2021, after 10 months on the job. A number of candidates proposed by Guterres were rejected by council members, Libya, or neighbouring countries.
The Libyan Parliament-designated PM, Fathi Bashagha welcomed the appointment of Bathily.
He stressed that an agreement between the Parliament, and the High Council of State (HCS) was the only way to reach a unified executive authority, able to hold elections.