UN envoy says security in Tripoli, western Libya remains fragile despite ceasefire

WASHINGTON

The UN special envoy for Libya said Friday that security conditions in Tripoli have improved only partially following new security arrangements, warning that instability persists in the capital and western regions.

“Following the agreement on new security arrangements in Tripoli, the security environment in the capital has stabilized to a certain extent,” Hanna Tetteh told the UN Security Council. “The truce continues to hold; however, the situation in Tripoli and western Libya remains fragile, with sporadic outbreaks of armed clashes in areas in southern Tripoli and elsewhere,” she said.

“I urge all relevant actors to work together towards implementing the security arrangements agreed upon and advance the necessary reforms to achieve stability,” she said.

“We welcome Libya’s Universal Periodic Review process that took place in the Human Rights Council on Nov. 11 and stand ready to work closely with Libyan authorities and stakeholders on the recommendations that were made,” she added.

Nonetheless, she noted that the UN remains “deeply concerned about human rights violations, including violence against women, migrants, and minorities, and deaths in custody.”

On the economy, Tetteh said: “Libya’s persistent fiscal fragmentation continues to undermine economic stability,” describing the Nov. 18 agreement on development spending as “a constructive step in the right direction.”

Ahead of Independence Day on Dec. 24, she urged Libyan leaders to “respond to the desire of the Libyan people and rise above their differences in the interest of the unity and integrity of the Libyan state.”