The envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the head of its support mission in Libya, Jan Kubis, gave a regular briefing on the developments in Libya to the UN Security Council, during which he reiterated the call for the exit of foreign fighters, pointing out that the continued presence of mercenaries in the country is a source of concern for the Libyan parties and the international community.
Addressing the members of the Security Council, Kubis said: “The ceasefire process is continuous, and progress has been made to implement the agreement, including opening the coastal road linking the east and west of the country, calling on all parties, including the 5 + 5 Committee, to work to withdraw weapons and integrate the militants.”
In his briefing to the Security Council, Kubis spoke about the expected election, saying that the elections in Libya now are not only a political obligation but a right of the people, and that the international community is ready to support the upcoming electoral process, coinciding with the Parliament finalizing the upcoming parliamentary elections law.
The UN envoy added that the government held a meeting last August to make the necessary arrangements for conducting the upcoming elections in December, but that the House of Representatives’ withdrawal of confidence from the current government would postpone the expected elections.
Kubis valued the release of 17 prisoners from Misrata by the Libyan National Army, indicating that it is a step in the direction of enhancing confidence among the parties, calling at the same time, on the authorities in Libya, to immediately release all those illegally detained in the country.
The head of the United Nations mission said that human rights violations in Libya continue, including torture, kidnapping and extrajudicial detention, expressing the need for Libyans to help the international community in the security file, and to activate what was agreed upon at the Berlin conference.
