US Political Minister, Counselor John Kelley said that the US “continues to unequivocally support the efforts of Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Abdoulaye Bathily to reach the political consensus needed for Libyans to hold elections as soon as possible.”
In his speech to the Security Council, Kelley added that, “the frustration among the Libyan people over the political stalemate is evident. Powerful actors continue to undermine the path to elections. The interference has only become more public since the failure to hold elections in December 2021.”
“It is time to build on past achievements and current momentum by constructively engaging in the inclusive process outlined by Special Representative Bathily, towards an UN-facilitated roadmap to elections as soon as is feasible,” he added/
Kelley confirmed that the United States urges the 6+6 Joint Committee to “contribute to this UN-led effort by immediately addressing the remaining barriers to elections.”
“On sanctions, we remain concerned about the uptick in both illicit petroleum and arms trafficking. We urge all Member States to prevent any illicit petroleum shipments. Such illicit shipments outside of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) often fund destabilising actors in Libya. They also steal resources rightfully belonging to the Libyan people,” he noted.
Kelley affirmed that the US “continues to support a strict adherence to the arms embargo. We applaud the EU Operation IRINI for the diversion of vessels found to contain arms and related material that could enable renewed conflict in Libya.”
He noted that the United States “welcomes the ongoing work of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) to unify Libya’s security forces and fully implement the ceasefire agreement. The withdrawal of foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries remains an essential element of maintaining stability throughout Libya. With respect to human rights, the final report of the Human Rights Council’s Fact-Finding Mission is dismaying. The enumerated violations and abuses of the human rights of men, women, and children, and particularly of migrants, are horrific and the situation appears to be getting worse.”