The interim UN envoy for Libya, Stephanie Williams, on Wednesday called for considering the incremental establishment of a demilitarized area starting with the city of Sirte, supported by a comprehensive set of confidence-building measures.
Williams told the UN Security Council via videoconference that Libya is “at a decisive turning point.”
She said the international community’s support “not only in words but most importantly in action, will help determine whether the country descends into new depths of fragmentation and chaos, or progresses towards a more prosperous future.”
“On the ground, an uneasy stand-off continues around Sirte, imperiling the lives of the city’s 130,000 vulnerable inhabitants as well as the country’s vital oil infrastructure which comprises its economic lifeline,” Williams told the Council.
While the frontlines have remained relatively quiet since June, both sides of the conflict “continue to benefit from the regrettable assistance of foreign sponsors to stockpile advanced weaponry and equipment.”
She revealed that since July 8, some 70 resupply flights landed in eastern airports in support of the Libyan National Army while 30 such flights were dispatched to airports in western Libya in support of the Government of National Accord.
“Similarly, around nine cargo vessels docked in western ports in support of the GNA, while a reported three cargo vessels arrived in support of the LAF.”
She described such activity as “an alarming breach of Libya’s sovereignty, a blatant violation of the UN arms embargo, not to mention the commitments undertaken by the Berlin conference participants.”
She said the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) continues to receive reports of large-scale presence of foreign mercenaries and operatives, which complicates chances of a future settlement.
Williams warned that any “reckless action risks igniting large-scale confrontation, with the devastating consequences this would entail for the country and the region at large.”
She also told the Council that the partial lifting of the oil blockade announced by Khalifa Haftar’s LNA on August 18 had a minimal impact on the severe energy crisis facing Libya.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Libya “has more than doubled in the last two weeks, with 15,156 cases and 250 recorded deaths as at Sept. 1.”
She said the country is at “a critical juncture” and community transmission has been reported in Libya’s main cities, including Tripoli and Sebha.
