Failure To Appoint New UN Envoy To Libya Puts Off Peaceful Solution

The Commissioner for Peace and Security at the level of the African Union, Algerian Ambassador Smail Chergui, expressed regret over the failure to appoint a new United Nations envoy to Libya to succeed Ghassan Salamé, thus delaying a peaceful solution to the bloody conflict in this country and prolonging its dire effects on the Libyan people, especially in light of the Corona virus pandemic.

The African Commissioner, in a statement to “Waj”, Monday, underlined that the failure to appoint a special representative of the United Nations to succeed Ghassan Salamé, who resigned nearly two months ago, “raises many questions among the actors and those interested in the Libyan issue,” wondering about “whether the efforts made really aim to find a final solution to the Libyan crisis, or is it just selfish efforts to achieve narrow interests and agendas at the expense of the fate of the brotherly Libyan people.

The African official also regretted the paltry state of the ceasefire in Libya by saying: “Unfortunately, the hopes and expectations generated by the Berlin conference have faded away, after the Libyan parties at issue refused to submit to the calls of the United Nations and the African Union President, South African Cyril Ramaphosa, to halt the internecine fighting and give way to dealing with the Covid 19 pandemic with its dire economic and social repercussions, “in addition to the continuation of foreign interventions in the country’s domestic affairs.

Mr. Smai Chergui believes that the situation in the Libyan territories today” imposes a move by the international community to stop all those meddling in the Libyan internal affairs”.

After the resignation of the Lebanese Ghassan Salamé, information spread about the possibility of the former Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra taking over the mission, but the latter announced at the beginning of the week, withdrawing his approval in principle for the proposal presented to him by the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on 7 March for the post of Special Representative and Head of the United Nations’ Support mission in Libya.

Mr. Lamamra explained: “The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, personally proposed to me the position of Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya on March 7, and I gave him my initial approval as a matter of commitment to the brotherly Libyan people and international and regional bodies concerned with finding a solution to the Libyan crisis “.

He added: “It seems that the consultations that Mr. Guterres has been carrying out since then do not have the unanimity of the UN Security Council and other actors, as a consensus is necessary for the success of the peace and national reconciliation mission in Libya”.

He went on to say: “I intend to contact the UN Secretary-General in the coming hours to thank him again for personal choice and notify him of withdrawing my initial approval for his proposal, which was made on March 7th”.

Diplomatic sources in New York reported last week that Guterres is looking for a new figure to take over as UN envoy to Libya, after Washington refused to endorse the nomination of Algerian diplomat Ramtane Lamamra.