On Tuesday, a group of American lawmakers pressed the State Department to curb widespread violations of a UN arms embargo on Libya. They also urged the need to ensure that US-manufactured weapons and equipment are not used in the country’s prolonged conflict, the Washington Post reported.
“The Trump administration had taken few concrete steps to enforce the ban on providing weapons to Libya’s warring parties,” urging the United States to “impose sanctions on those who violate arms trade restrictions,” Senators Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Commitments by countries that provide advanced weapons to Libya, “Have not been followed by actions, and foreign actors continue to flagrantly violate the arms embargo with impunity,” the senators wrote in their letter.
“Unfortunately, there have been few concrete steps to enforce the arms embargo or hold to account the perpetrators of these egregious violations”. The letter continued, “If the UN-led peace talks in Tunisia are to succeed, the arms embargo must be respected.”
The senators also called on the State Department to verify that no US-manufactured aircraft or equipment had been transferred to Libya or been used to transport weapons.
In October, Libya’s rivals met in Geneva and agreed to freeze ongoing military agreements, until a unified government takes over
The agreement provided for an immediate ceasefire following its signature. The two sides agreed to form a force of regular soldiers from the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) to solve expected violations. They agreed to evacuate all military areas and expel all mercenaries and foreign fighters from the country. Security arrangements will also be implemented over evacuated areas.