International Support Critical to Turn ‘Fragile Truce’ in Libya into Permanent Ceasefire, Create Accountable Government, Special Representative Tells Security Council

Libya is yet again at a critical juncture, the UN’s top official for the country told the Security Council today, stressing international support is indispensable to Tripoli’s attempt to turn a fragile truce into a permanent ceasefire and form a government accountable to its citizens.

“This is not the time for brinksmanship or unilateral actions,” said Hanna S. Tetteh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), in her briefing to the 15-member Council.

With UNSMIL’s support, Libya’s Presidential Council recently established a truce committee comprising key security actors.  “The truce, however, remains fragile and the overall security situation unpredictable,” Ms. Tetteh emphasized, adding that armed clashes in Tripoli last month resulted in civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, universities and a prison.

Despite several “stress calls”, no humanitarian corridors were secured by the parties involved in the clashes, underscoring “the shortcomings of state security actors”, she told the Council.  Evidence found at mass graves sites in the Abu Slim area indicates grave human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and torture, were allegedly committed by State security actors, notably the Stability Support Apparatus.

“The presence of charred remains, unidentified bodies in morgues and a suspected unofficial detention site at Abu Salim Zoo underscores the scale and gravity of these abuses,” she said, also pointing to reports of continued build-up and fears among many Libyans that armed clashes will resume.

“The continued inflow of weapons into Tripoli has led to the proliferation of heavy arms and weapons depots in densely populated civilian areas,” she went on to say.  There is also growing concern that further instability will draw in eastern security actors and undermine the 2020 ceasefire agreement, she said, urging all actors to refrain from actions that would thwart de-escalation efforts.

Libyans Disillusioned with Prolonged Transitional Period

“Many Libyans are deeply disillusioned with the prolonged transitional periods,” she stated, also noting that UNSMIL recently launched a series of nationwide consultations on how best to overcome the political impasse.  The Libyan people want accountable governance and a definite timeline towards holding elections.  She called on the Council to provide “unequivocal support”, including a “readiness to take measures against those obstructing the political process”.

Turning to the economy, Ms. Tetteh said the lack of agreement on a unified budget is increasing pressure on the Central Bank.  “All public spending must be grounded in a balanced, unified and legally sound national budget — developed transparently,” she said.

Focus on Need to Resume Dialogue, Restore State Authority

In the ensuing discussion, several delegates stressed the urgent need for dialogue and restoring State authority, calling on all Libyan stakeholder to engage constructively with UNSMIL.  Algeria’s representative, also speaking for Guyana, Sierra Leone and Somalia, welcomed the Presidential Council’s steps to de-escalate tensions, including the creation of a truce committee and imposition of a ban on armed movements in Tripoli.  Pointing to “the growing risk of the regionalization of the conflict, with Libya becoming a battlefield for proxy wars”, he urged an end to all external interference in Libya’s affairs and for the unconditional withdrawal of all foreign forces from Libyan territory.

Turning to the country’s worsening economic crisis, he said the planned opening of 22 areas for oil exploration and development must be carried out transparently and benefit the Libyan people.  Noting the continued erosion of Libya’s frozen assets, due to mismanagement and an outdated sanctions framework, he said the Council must urgently adopt calibrated reforms that promote the growth of the Libyan sovereign fund.  Noting Council resolution 2769 (2025) authorizes the Libyan Investment Authority to reinvest its frozen cash reserves, he said “assets should be preserved to benefit the Libyan people at a later stage”.

Concern over Deepening Economic Crisis

Several other speakers echoed concern over Libya’s intensifying economic challenges.  “Issues such as a shortage of foreign exchange, inflation and currency depreciation may affect social stability and bring about social unrest,” warned China’s delegate.  Libya’s frozen overseas funds are the commonwealth of the Libyan people, he added, stressing the oil- and resource-rich country has a right to development.  The Republic of Korea’s speaker called on Libya’s leaders to come together to redouble economic reform efforts and to ensure transparency of financial institutions. 

Reviving the political process must go hand in hand with progress in the economic and security sectors, said France’s speaker, adding that it is essential “to provide transparency and accountability in economic and financial institutions and to ensure the independence of audit institutions”.  This is crucial for ending corruption, she echoed several speakers, stressing:  “Libya’s resources must benefit its citizens.”

Comprehensive Political Settlement Is Crucial

“Now is the opportunity for Libyan actors to shape the future of the political process, towards a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Libya,” said the United Kingdom’s delegate.  Supporting UNSMIL’s efforts to improve international coordination in support of the political process, she also highlighted the forthcoming municipal elections as an opportunity for Libyan institutions and security actors to demonstrate their commitment to a peaceful Libya.

Denmark’s delegate said that stability in Libya is closely linked to a comprehensive political settlement that effectively addresses the root causes of division, the proliferation of armed groups and the lack of a centralized State authority.  Libyan stakeholders must “address the absence of a definite road map” for the political reconciliation process and the reunification of institutions, added Pakistan’s delegate.  “Open-ended processes will not encourage the relevant stakeholders to act with a sense of urgency,” he warned.

“The last thing we need right now is another source of tension in a region already in a turbulent time,” stated Greece’s delegate.  Noting that this year there has been a major increase in the illegal flows of migrants from Libya to Greece, he stressed that dignity must be guaranteed to all people.

Berlin Process International Follow-up Committee on Libya

The United States’ speaker said that the 20 June meeting in the Berlin Process International Follow-up Committee on Libya provided a good opportunity for the international community to show support for a Libyan-led, Libya-owned political process.  “The Libyan people have clearly signalled that they do not want to be entangled in another conflict,” she said, welcoming the renewal in May of the Libya arms embargo’s maritime inspection authority — an important tool to prevent weapons trafficking.  “Our ultimate goal remains to see the Libyan Government fully assert its sovereignty, take responsibility for its own security and enable mutually beneficial commercial opportunity that will bring increased prosperity for the Libyan people,” she said.

Underscoring that effective international mediation depends on how Libyans view it, the Russian Federation’s representative said the political reconciliation roadmap must also support intra-Libyan processes, as well as the national reconciliation track under the aegis of the African Union.  For several years, some Western countries have attempted to replace the Berlin format with various opaque closed-door meetings, which have no practical value for the settlement process.  Encouraged that this trend has finally been reversed, he said the “nefarious practice of holding exclusive meetings of working group co-chairs” without properly informing or inviting the rest of the membership must stop. 

Need to Uphold Libyan People’s Human and Civil Rights

“The active presence of regional and international actors demonstrates the existence of a collective willingness to support a Libyan solution with multilateral support,” added Panama’s delegate.  Echoing several speakers who underscored the need to uphold Libyans’ human and civil rights, he said that the future of the country must be built with the active participation of the younger generation.  Slovenia’s delegate, similarly, stressed that Libyans' rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must be ensured.  “A thriving civic space is especially critical in the pre-electoral period,” he said, also calling for investigations into the discovery of mass graves at several locations in Tripoli in the aftermath of the clashes.

Libya’s Representative Voices Frustration over Lack of Clear Political Road Map, Continuing Delays

Libya’s delegate said that today’s meeting presents a record for the Council — “you were done in an hour and 15 minutes, which indicates that there is nothing new to say”.  The United Nations still has no clear political road map to offer Libyans, he said, noting the delay between the resignation of the former Special Representative of the Secretary-General in April last year and the appointment of the current one, as well as the several months that have elapsed since that appointment.  The plan is now expected at the next briefing, which indicates a further delay.

Expressing the frustration of Libyans with these delays, he said that, while the country is being held hostage without a political plan, genuine national initiatives are not given any attention because the mediator has to be a UN party.  Further, Libyans want to know which individuals, groups or even States are obstructing the political process, he said.  “They deserve to know this now and not after your mandate is over,” he said, noting that previous UN envoys have gone to the media with this information after their term of office ended.

Welcoming the Berlin meeting and all efforts to crystallize a road map through wide-ranging consultations, he said the continued lack of international consensus affects the development of a local consensus, given the amount of foreign interference.  Turning to security concerns, he called on the international community to support the recently formed security committees, noting that Tripoli residents are living in constant anxiety.  Libya must stop being an international arena for proxy wars, he said.  “Avoid rushing our young men into new wars.”