A shipment of medical aid to address the Covid-19 pandemic in Libya is being withheld by the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), according to a statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the eastern-based Interim Government.
The medical supplies were donated as humanitarian aid by Chinese business magnate Jack Ma under the supervision of the African Union (AU) to a number of countries, including Libya.
In a statement, the Interim Government’s Foreign Ministry said that the AU had delivered the medical aid to the Government of National Accord in Tripoli, which in turn was preventing more than 85 Libyan municipalities out of 105 from receiving such aid despite the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
The Ministry denounced the GNA’s arbitrary distribution of humanitarian aid based on political affiliation. According to reports, the aid was sent to municipalities that were controlled by armed groups loyal to the GNA but was not sent to municipalities controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA).
The Interim Government’s Foreign Ministry said that such aid should be allocated exclusively to serve humanitarian purposes and that it could not in any way be used as a tool of political coercion.
The Ministry said that the GNA was not fairly representing Libyans, nor did its actions reflect the will of the Libyan people. The statement demanded that the international community, the Arab League, the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as other international and regional bodies, withdraw their recognition of the GNA.