YouSaid · the spoken record

Stephanie Williams

lines on the record: 92
first: 2020-05-19
most recent: 2021-01-28
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I remain optimistic that, with many points of convergence between both declarations, we may have a chance to move forward with intra-Libyan political and security discussions while continuing to engage with other key political and military forces across the country. Since my previous briefing (see S/2020/421), I have conducted a number of missions to shore up support for the United Nations efforts in Libya, including visits to the United Kingdom, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. Earlier today, I met with Tunisian President Saïed to specifically thank the Tunisian Government for its unstinting support for the United Nations operations in Libya. From all of my regional and international interlocutors, I secured commitments on assisting UNSMIL in its tasks of bringing the Libyan parties together and of working to maintain calm on the ground.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“Rejuvenation of political activity in the west and the east has enabled the emergence of a constituency advocating for change, for a Libyan-Libyan solution, for the restoration of the country’s sovereignty and for efforts to disentangle the Libyan people from broader regional and international struggles. On 21 August, President of the Presidency Council Serraj and Speaker of the House of Representatives Saleh issued separate yet simultaneous statements calling for an immediate ceasefire, the lifting of the oil blockade and a return to the political process under United Nations auspices. These statements were met with overwhelming expressions of support from Libyans of all political affiliations and from international partners as well.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“The disturbing trends I have just described should compel us all to press for immediate de-escalation and a return to the political process before the fragile window of opportunity created by the informal halt in hostilities dissipates to the detriment of Libyans, first and foremost, but also to the detriment of international peace and security. However, glimmers of hope have appeared from within the country, and UNSMIL, with the support of the Berlin-established International Follow-up Committee on Libya, is working on nurturing and using them as an anchor for its own efforts.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“On 29 August, the situation morphed into an open political crisis when the Presidency Council suspended Minister of Interior Bashagha and expedited a governmental reshuffling, exposing underlying tensions that had resurfaced within the western camp, as the threat posed by General Haftar’s offensive subsided. Now is the time to join hands, as efforts are undertaken to reach a settlement that would aim to preserve the country’s sovereignty and integrity and to address long-standing economic shortcomings and the need to implement lasting DDR and security sector reforms.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“In recent days, Libyans have come out in force throughout the country, most notably in Tripoli, to express their anger over the lack of basic services, widespread water and power cuts and rampant corruption. I have personally communicated to Libyan authorities the concerns the United Nations has about reports of excessive force used against peaceful demonstrators, and I reiterated our calls for the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression to be respected. Those who have been arbitrarily detained by armed groups must be released. The surge in the use of hate speech and incitement to violence — occasionally stirred up through foreign-based media outlets and electronic armies — appears designed to further divide Libyans, increase polarization and tear at the country’s social fabric, at the expense of a Libyan-Libyan solution.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“I continue to urge the authorities to take greater steps against smugglers and traffickers and to find alternatives to detention in Libya. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) welcomes the nomination by the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the three members of the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya. We look forward to cooperating with them and assisting them in fulfilling their mission to document violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law since 2016, address impunity for such violations and act as a deterrent. Sustainable peace in Libya will be achieved only through justice and accountability. All the elements I mentioned are producing fertile ground for social unrest across the country and confirm once more that the status quo is simply unsustainable.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“Reports of delays in rescue and disembarkation highlight the need for a review of European countries’ approach to this situation and for a more humane and predictable disembarkation mechanism in line with the responsibilities placed on Member States by international human rights law and search and rescue obligations. Libya cannot be considered a safe port for disembarkation. Many migrants and refugees who have been intercepted at sea have been returned to Libya and placed into detention. As of 21 August, almost 2,400 migrants and refugees are in official detention centres in Libya, where they are routinely subjected to grave human rights violations. Many more are in unofficial sites where the United Nations does not have access.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“The socioeconomic impact of COVID-19, along with the protracted crisis and deteriorating public services, continued to stretch the coping capacities of those in the most vulnerable circumstances, particularly the more than 1 million people estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2020. I remain concerned that migrants, refugees and asylum seekers continue to attempt to cross the Mediterranean, at great risk to their lives. I am deeply saddened by the recent deaths of 45 migrants and refugees attempting to cross to Europe in a singular incident on 18 August when their boat sank off Libya’s coast. More than 7,000 migrants and refugees have attempted the crossing this year, more than 300 of whom have died.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“We are also working closely with the authorities to build the capacities of health workers, to destigmatize the virus and to increase awareness so as to ensure that people take the proper precautions to protect themselves. It is essential that Libyan authorities cooperate transparently in our joint fight to control this terrible plague. The challenge of humanitarian access, compounded by COVID-19 restriction measures, remains persistent across the country. These challenges notwithstanding, humanitarian organizations have reached more than 243,000 people with assistance since the beginning of the year, including getting support to 66,000 internally displaced people, 119,000 vulnerable conflict-affected Libyans and recent returnees, and 58,000 migrants and refugees.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“We are, however, looking at the problem through a keyhole, as persistent shortages in testing capabilities, adequate health-care facilities and contact tracing mean that the true scale of the pandemic in Libya is likely to be much higher. The handling of the pandemic is limited by the fragmentation of health-sector institutions, the extreme shortage of medical supplies and workers, as well as a funding shortage. After more than nine years of conflict, the health-care system is nearing full collapse and is unable to respond to the additional burden of COVID-19 patients in addition to maintaining normal health services, including child immunization programmes. The United Nations and our partners are at the forefront of supporting the national authorities through the provision of health supplies and personal protection equipment.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“In the nation’s capital, residents too often go without electricity for up to 20 hours a day. We must make the full lifting of the oil blockade, in place since January, a top priority. The immiseration of the Libyan people is further compounded by the debilitating effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which appears to be spiralling out of control. The number of confirmed cases has more than doubled in the last two weeks, with 15,156 cases and 250 recorded deaths as of 1 September. Exponential increases are a worrying trend, with community transmission now reported in some of Libya’s main cities, including Tripoli and Sebha.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“The instability is further compounded by degraded socioeconomic conditions that are fuelling popular unrest and threatening the fragile calm required to advance our security and political discussions. The partial lifting of the oil blockade, announced by the LAAF on 18 August, had a minimal impact on the severe energy crisis faced by the country as it only applied to the removal of condensates from eastern stores. While that allowed the National Oil Corporation to continue providing natural gas for eastern power plants, the blockade otherwise remains unreasonably in place, including a forced shutdown of all domestic refineries. As the international price of fuel increases, so do domestic fuel shortages, which negatively impacts multiple sectors of the economy, including electricity.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“On the night of 26 August, General Haftar’s forces launched Grad rockets towards areas in which GNA forces were operating near Sirte. Last night, there were similar reports of rockets launched by forces affiliated with General Haftar. The rockets did not cause any damage or injuries, but they are a breach of the ceasefire that General Haftar’s signed on to in June, according to his spokesperson. With the stakes so high, such reckless action risks igniting large-scale confrontation, with the devastating consequences that would entail for the country and the region at large. It is imperative that the Council use its influence to impress on all sides that now is the time for restraint.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“The United Nations continues to support the authorities in developing and implement strategies to ensure the safe, dignified and voluntary returns of people to their homes. Reports of imminent offensives and reliance on social media networks to spread those rumours exacerbate the risk of miscalculation. As a sign of increased volatility, localized tensions among armed groups, most recently in the cities of Al-Asabaa, Sirte and neighbouring localities, are on the rise, with allegations of unlawful arrests and detention, abuse of power and targeting of civilians being widely shared with the Mission. Those developments make the requirement for a genuine disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme even more urgent.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“The activity described above constitutes an alarming breach of Libya’s sovereignty and a blatant violation of the United Nations arms embargo, not to mention the commitments undertaken by the Berlin Conference participants. The Mission continues to receive reports of a large-scale presence of foreign mercenaries and operatives, who are further complicating local dynamics and reducing the chances of a future settlement. While the rate of accidents from booby traps — including improvised explosive devices, landmines and explosive remnants of war — has decreased, explosive hazard contamination remains a significant risk to many communities, particularly in southern Tripoli. As of 24 August, a total of 61 people had been killed and 113 people injured, of whom 107 were civilians.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“While the front lines have remained relatively quiet since June, both the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) and forces under the control of the Government of National Accord (GNA) continue, regrettably, to benefit from the assistance of foreign sponsors in stockpiling advanced weaponry and equipment. Since the Secretary-General last briefed the Council on 8 July (see S/2020/686), some 70 resupply flights landed in eastern airports, in support of the LAAF, while 30 resupply flights were dispatched to airports in western Libya, in support of the GNA. 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 LAAF. Foreign sponsors are fortifying their assets at key Libyan air bases in the east and west.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“Allow me to congratulate the Niger on assuming the presidency of the Security Council during the month of September and for giving me the opportunity to brief the Council today. It is becoming a regrettable cliché to appear before the Council and warn that Libya is at a critical juncture, but I am compelled to pronounce those same words yet again today. Libya is indeed at a decisive turning point. The Council’s support, not only in words but more importantly in action, will help determine whether the country descends to new depths of fragmentation and chaos, or progresses towards a more prosperous future. On the ground, an uneasy standoff continues around Sirte, imperilling the lives of the city’s 130,000 vulnerable inhabitants, as well as the country’s vital oil infrastructure, which comprises its economic lifeline.”
2020-09-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/879 (2020) · source
“From what we are witnessing in terms of the massive influx of weaponry, equipment and mercenaries on both sides, the only conclusion we can draw is that this war will intensify, broaden and deepen, with devastating consequences for the Libyan people. As the foreign intervention increases, the Libyans themselves are getting lost in the mix, their voices crowded out. We must not let Libya slip away. We must enable responsible Libyans to write their own future. By coming together now, the Security Council can ensure the collective security it is mandated to maintain by applying consistent and credible pressure on those regional and international actors that are fuelling the conflict. We can collectively write a different ending to this heretofore sad tale, but only if we demonstrate the collective will to do so.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“We equally appreciate the interest of Member States and our Libya quartet partner organizations to engage within the international follow-up committee on Libya, which convened at the senior officials’ level on 2 April and 13 May. The raison d’être of the Committee is to ensure the implementation of the Berlin commitments. Discussions have begun in the four thematic working groups established under the Committee. The groups form a critical tool not only to support UNSMIL but also to demonstrate to Libyans that the Berlin Conference can deliver on its promises. As we survey the carnage wrought by almost 15 months of unrelenting violence in Libya, I believe we have a reached another turning point in the conflict.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“I request the Council’s assistance to ensure that we receive a response at the earliest to resume these much-needed exchanges. The existing draft constitutes the most solid basis for a resumption of discussion. We appreciate the support expressed by participants in the Berlin Conference. In the same spirit, we hope to count on their backing to urgently stop the inflow of military support from abroad in violation of the United Nations arms embargo. The European Union launched its Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI on 1 April. We welcome all efforts to support the implementation of the United Nations arms embargo, in line with resolution 2292 (2016), and encourage Member States to contribute to its monitoring and implementation in a comprehensive manner.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“We welcome the constructive stance taken by the Prime Minister and the House of Representatives President and any political initiatives that are inclusive and aimed at ending the fighting and finding a peaceful solution to the conflict under the framework of the conclusions of the 19 January international conference in Berlin and resolution 2510 (2020). Our mission remains to help Libyans rebuild a State strong enough to peacefully contain political differences. We have engaged with the GNA and the LNA to build on the draft ceasefire agreement put forward at the 23 February 5+5 Joint Military Commission talks in Geneva. The Mission is analysing comments on the draft agreement provided by the GNA team. We are still waiting to receive feedback from the LNA General Command.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“On a more positive note, on 5 May, Prime Minister Serraj publicly S/2020/421 welcomed all political initiatives that called for a peaceful solution to the Libyan crisis and urged all parties to resume political talks either within the framework of the Libyan Political Agreement, or via an agreement to hold elections under an agreed constitutional framework. Should the talks be held under the Libyan Political Agreement framework, Mr. Serraj referred to the restructuring of the executive, including formation of a Presidency Council with three members, and a Government headed by a prime minister.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“On 23 April, House of Representatives President Saleh announced a new political initiative, calling for the social and political constituencies representing the east, the west and the south to elect their own representatives to a three-member Presidency Council, under the supervision of the United Nations. In contrast, on the same day, General Haftar regrettably reiterated that he considers the Libyan Political Agreement and the current Presidency Council void and requested that Libyans choose an institution to lead the country for a transitional period. In a follow-up speech just four days later, on 27 April, General Haftar “accepted” what he believes is a popular mandate for his General Command to play a greater governance role.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“In a positive development, on 3 May the National Oil Corporation (NOC) managed to restore the institutional integrity of the national fuel distribution company, Brega, by reunifying the management committee. We welcome that development, as it maintains the impartiality and effectiveness of the NOC. I assure the Council that the United Nations will not relent in our effort to get Libya’s political and military leaders to assume their responsibilities and commit to a ceasefire and a political settlement. In the wake of recent military developments, it appears there may be a window to breathe new life into some political activity.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“I have engaged both the Prime Minister and the Governor of the Central Bank to address the country’s financial crisis and encourage dialogue with the aim of implementing a series of reforms to both mitigate the national deficit and improve the lives of the average Libyan. This month, the Ministry of Justice delivered an encouraging ruling on the legality of the international audit. Another worrisome trend is the weaponization of vital services. Since the end of March, there have been four incidents, two that cut water supplies from the Great Man-Made River and two that cut natural gas supplies to electrical power plants. Those acts are reprehensible at any time but particularly so at a time when the country is suffering from the effects of war and a global pandemic.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“The fighting, compounded by COVID-19 and the ongoing oil blockade, poses an unprecedented challenge to the already fraught socioeconomic situation in Libya. The blockade itself has already cost Libya over $4 billion. With a looming budget deficit of 26 billion dinars in 2020, the Central Bank of Libya has imposed austerity measures, including limits on foreign exchange. All of this has led to a loss of income, food shortages, price spikes and supply chain disruptions. The parallel market exchange rate has increased from 4.1 dinars to the dollar in January to 6.1 today, further impacting people’s purchasing power. Many of the gains from the economic reforms enacted in 2018 have been erased.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“I encourage the Government to engage in a constructive dialogue with the elected council in order to safeguard democratic processes in Libya. Municipal service delivery should be shielded from national politics. We commend the perseverance of Libya’s local electoral committee officials who continue preparations to resume municipal council elections despite tremendous challenges. Another 38 local elections are planned to be held in 2020; municipal councils and the Central Committee for Municipal Council Elections are considering special measures to provide a safe environment for voting during the pandemic. Elections are planned in several municipalities in June and July, including in Misrata.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“I would like to urge Member States to respond to our call for COVID-dedicated funding and to ramp up support for the 2020 humanitarian response plan, which is seriously underfunded at 14 per cent. The lack of funding is hampering our ability to combat the pandemic and ensure that existing vulnerabilities are not exacerbated.There is a risk that violence may expand in southern Libya as the conflict sharpens existing divisions. In the southern city of Sabha, the recently sworn-in elected municipal council was suspended after it made a statement supportive of the LNA on 26 April, leading the GNA Ministry of Local Governance to replace it with an appointed steering committee. The elected council has filed an appeal of the GNA’s decision.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“UNSMIL is also concerned about the expulsion of at least 1,400 migrants and refugees from eastern Libya this year, in violation of Libya’s international human rights law obligations on non-refoulement and collective expulsions, and about the risk that more may soon be forcibly deported. We have received reports of the failure to assist and of coordinated pushbacks of migrant boats in the central Mediterranean, which continues to be one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. Both Italy and Malta — and now Libya as well — have closed their ports to the disembarkation of migrants rescued at sea, citing health concerns related to COVID-19. I stress that the stabilization of populations in Libya will come, first and foremost, through an immediate ceasefire followed by a full return to political dialogue.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“The Supreme Judicial Council, the Public Prosecution Service and the Ministry of Justice have demonstrated a desire to protect prisoners and detainees from COVID-19, and we encourage them to release further prisoners, particularly women and children, persons with disabilities or medical conditions, older persons, migrants and refugees. With technical support and equipment provided by the United Nations, Al-Jadida prison in Tripoli hosted several successful remote court hearings between 15 and 30 April. I remain very concerned about the situation of migrants and asylum seekers in Libya. Since January, more than 3,200 have been intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, frequently to abusive conditions in detention, while others have disappeared altogether.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“Likewise, humanitarian actors face access constraints in moving humanitarian supplies into and around the country, and flights carrying medical supplies have not been able to land owing to a lack of clearances in Benghazi. Negotiating clearances to operate during curfews imposed due to COVID-19, as well as ongoing insecurity, has delayed relief distributions. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and in response to advocacy from UNSMIL, I welcome the reported release by the Libyan authorities of more than 2,000 prisoners and detainees between 25 March and 15 May.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“It should also be noted that the low count of positive cases is proportional to the low testing capacity, contact tracing and fear of social stigmatization in the country. Although the national authorities have provided frequent updates on financial pledges to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including for the purchase of medical equipment and the payment of salaries to medical workers, these have been slow to materialize and salaries to be fully paid. Local authorities across Libya face severe shortages of functioning hospitals, intensive care units, vital medical equipment and supplies, including personal protective equipment. According to a recent World Health Organization survey, while 75 per cent of primary health centres are open, only 20 per cent are delivering services.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“We were S/2020/421 pleased to see the participants agree to establish a hate speech observatory under the auspices of UNSMIL and to produce a code of ethics. COVID-19 compounds existing insecurity, in addition to exacerbating long- standing vulnerabilities. The United Nations system is hard at work to assist national authorities, including through the provision of supplies, equipment and training. Testing capacity has been scaled up. There are now five operational laboratories in the country, up from two, but more are needed, including the qualified personnel to operate them. As of 18 May, there were 65 confirmed cases, including three COVID- related deaths, reported across Libya. According to the World Health Organization, the peak has not yet been reached in Libya and the risk of an intensification of the outbreak remains very high.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“On 14 April, following the GNA forces’ takeover of the city of Surman, the Martyr Othman Hamza Company, affiliated with the GNA, broke into Surman prison and unlawfully released 401 prisoners. In Tarhouna, on 5 April, the LNA-affiliated armed group 9th Brigade killed at least nine civilians and demolished seven houses, after forcibly evicting families from their homes and abducting seven women, whose fate remains unknown. Social media is another theatre of the Libyan conflict. Building on the workshops we ran last year to counter incitement and the use of hateful rhetoric in the media, UNSMIL organized a virtual forum in April with nearly 30 prominent Libyan traditional and social media figures from across the spectrum.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“I would be remiss not to reiterate that such attacks violate international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes. Between 1 April and 18 May, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) documented at least 248 civilian casualties — 58 killed and 190 injured — an 89 per cent increase compared to the total civilian casualties recorded for the first three months of this year. The vast majority of the total civilian casualties are attributed to forces affiliated with General Haftar. Those guilty of crimes under international law must be brought to justice. We are also concerned by attacks on civilians, the desecration of corpses and retribution, including looting, robberies and torching of public and private properties, in western coastal towns recently seized by GNA forces.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“Since my last briefing, the Al-Khadra hospital, which was assigned to receive patients infected with COVID-19, was hit on four separate days by LNA rockets, along with the Royal Hospital, the field medical support centre in Tariq Al-Matar and the Weryemma polyclinic, causing the facilities to be evacuated. On 16 May, shelling carried out by Haftar’s forces struck a shelter for internally displaced persons and migrants in Tripoli’s Al-Furnaj district. At least seven persons were killed and 17 injured, including women and children. It was not the first time that camp has been targeted. On 10 May, an armed group opened fire inside the intensive care unit in Al-Jalaa hospital in Benghazi, damaging equipment, while the Tripoli Central Hospital sustained damage as a result of LNA rocket attacks.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“Another round of shelling on targets in and around Mitiga by General Haftar’s forces on 15 May hit three warehouses of the Central Committee for Municipal Council Elections, destroying a sizable amount of electoral material. Once again, we call for the immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, while calling on the GNA to restore the civilian nature of Mitiga airport. Military operations in and around Tarhouna have caused new displacement and negatively impacted humanitarian access to the city. I am concerned about UAV attacks by the GNA over the past two months on vehicles travelling between Mizdah and Tarhouna as well as in Bani Walid, which caused collateral damage to vehicles carrying non-combat-related items like food, goods and fuel and resulted in civilian casualties.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“The control of that strategic airbase may trigger further escalation, turning the Libyan conflict into a pure proxy war. As has been the case on a number of occasions, we witnessed the direct involvement of foreign parties in that operation, either with S/2020/421 UAVs or the presence on the ground of air defence systems, in blatant violation of the arms embargo. Since 24 April, Tripoli, and in particular Mitiga airport, has been subjected to nearly non-stop daily shelling. On 7 May, heavy-artillery bombardment and grad rocket attacks launched by pro-LNA forces impacted downtown Tripoli, including the seaport and the vicinity of the Foreign Ministry, the Turkish Embassy and the residence of Italy’s Ambassador to Libya, with at least two civilians killed and three others injured.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“After their successful bid to retake six cities on the coastal road west of Tripoli in April, GNA forces are now seeking to roll back the LNA’s foothold in southern Tripoli by forcing the redeployment of resources and disrupting their supply lines from the nearby city of Tarhouna. Emboldened by those recent successes, the GNA showed reluctance to reciprocate a unilaterally declared cessation of all military activities announced by the LNA on 29 April on the occasion of Ramadan. On 5 May, GNA forces initiated operations to seize control of the Al-Watiya airbase but were initially repelled by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and snipers, resulting in dozens of fatalities. After repeated attempts, supported by multiple air strikes conducted by drones, GNA forces took control of the airbase on 18 May.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“While people around the world are adjusting to the new normal of living with a global pandemic, millions of Libyans — most notably the 2 million residents of Tripoli — are living a most abnormal and terrifying existence under almost constant bombardment and with frequent water and electricity cuts. That existence is compounded by restricted movement resulting from COVID-19 preventive measures, rendering the whole situation unbearable for the majority to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan in peace. We continue to witness an alarming military build-up as a result of the uninterrupted dispatch by the foreign backers of increasingly sophisticated and lethal weapons, not to mention the recruitment of more mercenaries to both sides of the conflict.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“Instead, fighting has escalated, with an unprecedented increase in indirect fire in urban areas and a growing tide of suffering for civilians. For nearly 15 months since the launch of General Haftar’s attack on Tripoli in April of 2019, armed conflict has been raging in and around some of Libya’s most densely populated areas. As a result of the intensifying armed hostilities, coupled with the dire socioeconomic impact of COVID-19, including the loss of employment and livelihoods, 1 million people are now in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. That includes 400,000 internally displaced Libyans, along with 654,000 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. In the last year alone, since the attack on Tripoli started, 201,000 Libyans have been forced to flee their homes, mostly in and around the capital.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“Let me open with best wishes to our Muslim colleagues on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. Allow me also to congratulate Estonia on its presidency of the Security Council this month. I had hoped to be able to deliver a more positive report to the Security Council today but, unfortunately, just when we think that the bottom has been reached in Libya, we somehow manage to achieve new depths of violence, heartlessness and impunity. Despite our determined efforts and the Secretary-General’s plea for an immediate ceasefire to allow Libyans to respond to the common threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), I regret to report that there has been no lull in the fighting between the Government of National Accord (GNA) forces and General Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), also known as the Libyan Arab Armed Forces.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source