The United Nation Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) will reopen its office in Bengahzi and later in southern Libya to be close to all Libyans, Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs in Libya Stephanie T. Williams said on Tuesday.
“The opening of the office will bring us close to Libyans wherever they are, and we can closely listen to them and work together to get Libya out of the current situation,” Williams added.
رسالة نائبة الممثل الخاص للشؤون السياسية ستيفاني ويليامز عقب زيارتها لمدينة بنغازي شرق #ليبيا.. pic.twitter.com/iEr5hKpuke
— UNSMIL (@UNSMILibya) ١١ ديسمبر ٢٠١٨
The Mission is overseen by the United Nations’ Department of Political Affairs, which provides guidance and operational assistance. UNSMIL has its headquarters in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, with offices in Benghazi and southwestern Libya Sabha.
In the past period, UNSMIL closed its office in Bengahzi and southern region due to the lack of security.
Political instability in Libya after the collapse of Muammar Qaddafi’s regime has led to the spread of organized crimes including smuggling of weapons and drugs alongside illegal migrants and terrorist groups through the lawless, vast deserts of Libya’s southern borders.
These borders are shared with Chad in the south, Sudan in the southeast and Niger in the southwest.
Extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic state (IS) involved in terrorist activities in Libya spread in this border region, while farther south in Niger on the border with Nigeria, the local terror group, Boko Haram, threatens the area.
To control the southern region, Libya, Chad, Sudan and Niger signed on May 31 in N’Djamena a security protocol to cooperate in improving cross-border security by targeting trans-border criminal activities and smuggling.
