Libyan MP, Ibrahim Al-Zaghid has expressed criticism of the United Nations’ approach in Libya, particularly highlighting the actions of Envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily. In his statement to Al-Masar TV, Al-Zaghid noted that Bathily is “attempting to replicate previous initiatives like the Geneva Dialogue and the Comprehensive Conference, a strategy previously employed by Ghassan Salamé, Bathily’s predecessor.”
Al-Zaghid remarked that Libya “has become a playing field for the practices of UN envoys,”!pointing out contradictions in Bathily’s current direction compared to his earlier stances.
In October, another MP, Abdel-Monem Al-Arfi accused Bathily of seeking to prolong the Libyan crisis, rather than resolve it.
In a press statement, Al-Arfi said that MP’s will demand Bathily’s removal from the UN Mission (UNSMIL). “We await a consensus among the Parliament members to call for his departure from Libya,” he explained.
The MP further argued that UN Envoy have “turned into something akin to puppets.” He claimed that “what Bathily is doing currently will negatively impact the elections, given his rejection of the electoral laws.”
Al-Arfi also noted the confusion within the High Council of State (HCS), regarding the presence of Bathily. “We were surprised by the HCS Head, Mohamed Takala renouncing the agreement on the electoral laws.”
Adel Karmous, a member of the HCS, affirmed that Bathily is the “worst UN Envoy to head UNSMIL.”
Karmous stated in a press release that “when Libyan parties reached a genuine consensus, they found Bathily obstructing it with baseless justifications and unwarranted remarks.”
He concluded by noting that “it is no secret that Bathily lacks the personality and courage to confront real contentious issues.”
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December 2021, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down.