On Monday the United Nations Human Rights Council (UN-HRC) decided to establish a fact-finding body to investigate violations by all sides in Libya.
During the Council’s 43rd session, the African Group at the Human Rights Council put forward a resolution asking Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to immediately dispatch a fact-finding mission to investigate violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by all parties in Libya since the beginning of 2016.
The request also included preserving evidence with a view to ensure that those responsible for abuses are held accountable. The resolution passed by consensus.
Eric Goldstein, acting Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said that the establishment of a fact finding mission would be a wake-up call to warlords and armed groups in the country. They could now be held accountable for serious crimes committed by their rank and file.
Libya remains divided between two entities engaged in an armed conflict since April 2019: the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA). Turkey is the main military backer of the GNA, with Egypt and the UAE being the prime backers of the LNA.