UN Security Council urges Libyan factions to build on election deal
UN Security Council welcomes a Libyan agreement on electoral reforms and urges progress on ceasefire, institutional unification, and fair elections.
The United Nations Security Council has called on Libya's rival leaders to build on a recent agreement and make concrete progress toward a ceasefire, the unification of state institutions, and the holding of free and fair elections.
The appeal came after representatives of Libya's divided political factions signed an agreement on August 30, facilitated by the UN Support Mission in Libya, to reconstitute the board of the High National Election Commission and amend the electoral framework. The goal is to hold long-awaited parliamentary and presidential elections within two years.
French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont, who holds the Council's rotating presidency, described the pact as an important step toward delivering credible national elections and advancing the unification of Libya's institutions. He commended the parties for their constructive engagement and urged all stakeholders to support its implementation.
The Council also stressed the need for further steps to strengthen the unified spending framework announced in April and emphasized the importance of unifying all institutions, including military and security bodies, under a single executive authority.
Libya has been mired in political crisis since the failure to hold elections in December 2021. The refusal of then-Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to step down led the east-based parliament to appoint a rival premier. Military commander Khalifa Hifter continues to wield significant influence in the east.
The country has been fragmented since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi, leaving rival administrations in the east and west backed by various militias and foreign powers.