On Sunday, a high-ranking diplomatic delegation from the United States (US) Department of State arrived in the Libyan city of Benghazi. The delegation was headed by the National Security Council Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa for the Biden administration.
The American delegation is scheduled to meet with a number of Libyan officials, most notably the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marchal Khalifa Haftar, and a number of military leaders and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR).
The delegation is scheduled to meet the Speaker of the Libyan HoR, Ageela Saleh, on Monday, to discuss political developments and opportunities for holding presidential and parliamentary elections at the end of this year.
Notably, the US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, Michele J. Sison said that “the Libyan people demanded free and fair elections, and they deserve to be held to choose their leaders in 2023.”
Sison praised the United Nations (UN) Security Council Presidential statement, and its support for the initiative of the UN Envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily. This would secure “fair elections, that the Libyan people deserve.”
Sison called on Libya’s leaders to “find a way forward to ensure a democratic future for all Libyans.”
The Security Council welcomed the gradual progress of the new constitutional amendments in Libya. It affirmed its support for holding elections in the country, according to a statement seen by Italy’s news agency, Nova.
It praised Egypt’s role in facilitating talks in Cairo between the Libyan Parliament, and the High Council of State (HCS).
“Individuals or entities that threaten the peace, stability or security of Libya, or hinder or undermine the successful completion of its political transition, can be designated under sanctions by the Security Council,” the UN Security Council warned.
The Security Council emphasized the need for “a new impetus” to ensure a legal basis and political agreement, essential for the holding of free, fair, transparent, inclusive, and secure Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 2023.
The statement affirmed the Council’s strong support for the UN Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, as a “mediator to promote a political process in line with the pertinent Security Council resolutions.”
