Panafrican News Agency

Success for Abdoulaye Bathily despite the complications of the crisis in Libya

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The new Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Abdoulaye Bathily, arrived here Friday to officially begin his mission of relaunching the political process in this North African country.

Bathily, from Senegal, has inherited a situation of total impasse with the exacerbation of internal polarization leading to deadly armed clashes and the resurgence of internal interferences, thereby returning the country to a phase of proxy war between regional powers.

But despite this apparently hostile situation, Mr. Bathily can take advantage of considerable assets that provide him with his experience in theatres of conflict on the African continent.

Bathily also stands to benefit from the unanimity around him, especially with the major world powers that have expressed their desire to see the crisis in Libya resolved in view of the strategic importance of the country in the context of the energy crisis currently raging in the world as a result of the war in Ukraine.

Indeed, since last March, Libya has found itself with two rival governments after the Parliament voted confidence in the government of Prime Minister Fathi Bachagha.

He was forced to settle between Sirte (Centre) and Benghazi (East) after his failure to enter the Libyan capital.

Added to this was the government of national unity of Prime Minister Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba emanating from the consensus between Libyans in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations but which refuses to hand over power to an elected authority.

This situation arose from the postponement of the 24 December elections agreed according to the roadmap of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum.

However, political conditions, insecurity and shortcomings inherent in the electoral laws led the Libyan National Electoral Commission to take this decision.

In addition to the heightened security tension resulting from the presence of two competing governments with the multiplication of armed clashes between the two camps, the political stalemate has continued to worsen due to the lack of prospects for a solution and the deadlock in the electoral process.

For example, talks between the parliament and the High Council of State, in the absence of a constitution for the country, on the elaboration of a constitutional basis to serve as a legal framework for the elections, have stalled over the eligibility of bi-nationals and the military.

These points are considered by some observers of the Libyan political scene as a pretext that hides the extent of foreign interference and the desire of the two chambers to remain in the Libyan political landscape both of which have exceeded their legal deadlines after more than eight years of existence.

Both have support from armed groups in Tripoli and the western region, with the two prime ministers coming from the city of Misrata.

The situation is exacerbated by the tug-of-war between regional powers, in particular Turkey, which supports the Western camp in Libya, and Egypt, which is allied to the East, fanned by the recent signing of the memorandum of understanding between the government in Tripoli and Ankara on oil and gas.

As soon as he set foot on Libyan soil, Mr. Bathily revealed his priorities and the method he intends to use to achieve his goal.

He stated on his arrival: "My priority is to identify a consensual path towards the holding of inclusive and credible national elections, which should be held as soon as possible on a solid constitutional framework."

He specified in a statement issued by UNSMIL that "the restoration of the electoral process will contribute to fostering national unity and stability and renew the legitimacy of the country's institutions".

He added that he would "lead the UN's good offices and mediation efforts to achieve a sustainable and peaceful Libyan-led and -owned solution".

The UN official announced that in the coming days he would first and foremost "engage with all Libyan parties across the country, including civil society, women and youth groups, to listen to their views on the political, security and economic situation and to hear their vision for the future of their country".

He said that "the UN remains committed to assisting Libya in holding inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections", stressing that "the will of the millions of Libyans who have registered to vote must be respected".

It should be noted that Mr. Bathily can count on the support of some countries of the international community, including Germany and the United States, which are very committed to providing the necessary support for the success of his mission.

The US Special Envoy and Ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, is very involved in the efforts to find a political solution in Libya and to accompany the process of appointing a Special Representative from Africa.

At the end of September, Norland announced on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York "new ideas and a great interest" in the Libyan file, assuring that "the United States is working closely with partners, the diplomatic community and Libyan visitors present in New York to try to revive the Libyan electoral process".

The US diplomat said that all parties had realized the importance of working quickly to achieve elections in light of the ongoing violence in Libya, as the Secretary-General announced the appointment of his new Special Representative in Libya, Bathily.

He stressed that one of the most important messages his country was seeking to confirm was "strong US support for Bathily's efforts to lead the political process and help mediate among Libyans for an agreement as soon as possible that leads to credible elections".

With this support, the new Representative of the UN Secretary General must work to bring about an early thaw in the situation through a rapid agreement between the Parliament and the High Council of State on a constitutional basis adopting a clear timetable for elections to be held as soon as possible.

Observers of the scene in Libya have stressed that the success of the new UN envoy, the eighth since 2011 and the first African, lies in the speed to act and not to get bogged down in international palaver and endless marathon meetings with the belligerents.

These same observers cite as an example the various dialogues and conferences from Skhirat and Tunis, to Geneva, Berlin I and II, Hurghada, Ghadames and Cairo, which have ultimately led to nothing concrete to finally resolve the crisis in Libya.

They indicated that Mr. Bathily must resort to the support of the United States, which appears to be serious in its objective to achieve the organization of legislative and presidential elections, even if it has underlying interests in Libya, especially since Russia, which supports the eastern camp and the head of the Libyan national army, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, is mired in the swamp of the war in Ukraine, whenever the need arises or he is confronted with a blockage.

Moreover, Mr Bathily can also take advantage of the opportunity provided by Germany's willingness to organize a Berlin III Conference to move the political process forward without falling into the trap of a new power-sharing and transition that would prolong the crisis and derail the results achieved in terms of military appeasement.

Indeed, the issue of the executive does not constitute an obstacle to the organization of elections if the belligerents agree, under international guarantees, to ensure that the elections are organized in optimal security conditions and that they are transparent and fair.

In this regard, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres revealed the intention of the German Foreign Ministry to revive the Berlin conference, saying that it is the most useful international tool to avoid the worst scenario in Libya and reach a possible solution to the crisis.

At a press conference in New York on the occasion of the arrival of his Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, Bathily, in Libya and the start of his official duties from the capital, Tripoli, Guterres stressed the need to reach a rapid agreement between the House of Representatives (Parliament) and the High Council of State to allow the necessary legal changes to be made to hold elections.

He said: "It is difficult to know what is the greatest challenge that Bathily will face in his mission in Libya," stressing "the importance of pursuing the ceasefire agreement and preserving stability at all costs. -0- PANA BY/IS/BBA/RA 16Oct2022