UN envoy urges action against those obstructing Libya’s election roadmap

Libya’s UN envoy has urged the Security Council to hold accountable those obstructing progress towards elections, as a recently agreed political roadmap faces opposition and the country grapples with economic and security pressures.

Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Libya, said an agreement reached on 30 August by the 4+4 committee offered a route to legislative and presidential elections under a unified executive within 24 months. But Libya’s High Council of State rejected the agreement’s methodology on 5 October, she told the Council on 14 October.

“Libya cannot afford to allow spoilers to obstruct the process,” Tetteh said, calling on the Council to urge the parties to move forward. The UN Support Mission in Libya is due to have its mandate renewed on 31 October. [1]

Tetteh said political and institutional divisions were worsening economic strains. Inflation was above 14 per cent, she said, while a weaker dinar and rising food prices were eroding purchasing power and public services remained unreliable. Strikes and protests took place throughout September amid rising living costs.

She also estimated that 30 to 50 per cent of fuel imports between January and September had been lost to smuggling, representing between $2.4 billion and $4.4 billion. She said disruptions to oil infrastructure in September had cost one million barrels of production.

Council members backed calls to implement the August agreement, while stressing the need for inclusive political engagement. Liberia, speaking for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, said UNSMIL had recorded 2.8 million registered voters in April and called for immediate milestones towards elections. The United States said those obstructing or undermining progress could face Security Council sanctions.

Libya’s representative questioned whether the agreement had sufficient political and institutional support, and called for the UN mission to remain an impartial mediator. He also warned against foreign interference, saying international support should not replace Libyan institutions.

Tetteh raised other concerns, including the execution in Benghazi of 58 people convicted of terrorism-related offences in the previous two months. She called for further executions to be suspended and for procedures to be reviewed to ensure fair trials and due process. [1]