Nov. 23, UN Libya Special Envoy Ján Kubiš suddenly resigns, to remain in charge till successor is appointed.
Nov. 28, Benghazi Court rejects appeal against Haftar’s candidacy as Tripoli Court accepts motion against PM Deibah, removes him from candidates list.
SEBHA
- Nov. 28, the Libyan National Army (LNA) arrested a terrorist cell in the southern city of Sebha. The cell was planning to commit hostile acts aimed at destabilising the country. In a statement, Major General Khaled al-Mahjoub, Director of the Moral Guidance Department of the LNA said that the cell members, including the wanted terrorist Ali Bakir, were arrested in a security raid on their quarters which was described as a “pre-emptive strike” against terrorism;
- Nov. 26, a court in Sebha was reportedly attacked and surrounded by armed men while the court was set to consider the appeal by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi into his disqualification by the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) from standing in the country’s presidential elections set for 24 December 2021.
NATIONAL POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
- Nov. 28, the First Instance Appeals Committee of the Benghazi Court of Appeals rejected the appeal submitted by Presidential candidate, Abdel-Majid Saif al-Nasr against Khalifa Haftar. Disputes over the election rules, including the validity of a law issued by the Libyan Parliament in September, and over the eligibility of some candidates, threaten to derail the vote. On the same day, the Tripoli Court of Appeals accepted a motion against PM Deibah’s candidacy, thus removing him from the candidates list. Dbeibah is entitled to file an appeal within three days;
- Nov. 28, The Head of the Libyan General Medical Council (LGMC), Mohamed Al-Ghouj, announced that Libyan doctors will continue their open sit-in. He said that the Libyan doctors are upset that the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU) ignored their demands. In a press statement to the Fawasel platform, Al-Ghouj stated that the Prime Minister continues to ignore the doctors’ demands, and it is the citizen who pays the price.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- Nov. 28, a group of Libyan nationals suspected of illegally smuggling millions of euros through the Malta International Airport were arrested on charges of money laundering and tax evasion. It was reported that they are being held at the police’s Financial Crime Investigation Department;
- Nov. 28, Libya and Morocco signed the Minutes of the first meeting of the Libyan-Moroccan Joint Consular Committee, which includes the facilitation of obtaining visas and residency permits for Libyan students and their families in Morocco. The meeting also discussed facilitating visa procedures for investors and businessmen from both countries, as well as visa procedures for immigrant Moroccan workers. The two sides emphasized the activation of judicial cooperation agreements and the transfer of convicts;
- Nov. 27, the United States (US) Special Envoy for Libya, Richard Norland, said that the elections scheduled for December 24th are a “historic opportunity” for Libyans to determine the future of their country. This came during Norland’s virtual participation at the National Youth Conference. This was organized by the Youth Dialogue Forum under the auspices of the Libyan Presidential Council. Representatives of diplomatic missions to Libya, and representatives of United Nations (UN) agencies and international organizations attended the conference;
- Nov. 26, The European Union’s Special Representative for the Sahel, Emanuela Del Re stated that the stability of Libya could create great economic opportunities for the region. In an interview with the Italian news agency Nova, Del Re said that Libya holds a strategic position on the southern shore of the Mediterranean. Del Re’s statements come the day after her meeting with Mousa Al-Koni, the Deputy Head of the Libyan Presidential Council in Brussels Nov. 24. “I spoke with Al-Koni about the current difficulties facing Libya,” she said;
- Nov. 26, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission announced that the EU will deploy its Electoral Expert Mission to Libya, ahead of the 24 December elections. During his meeting with the Deputy Head of the Presidential Council, Musa Al-Koni, Borrell affirmed the EU’s readiness to support the holding of Libya’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections;
- Nov. 24, Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio and his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian met in Rome, on the sidelines of the signing of the ‘Quirinale Treaty,’ which aims to enhance bilateral cooperation. The two confirmed that there is “close coordination” between Rome and Paris on Libya and the Sahel region;
- Nov. 24, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) announced that it had received 158 Nigerian nationals from Libya, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The Acting Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye said the returnees, who had been stranded in Libya, departed from Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport. They boarded a chartered Buraq Aircraft Boeing 737-800 with registration number 5A-DMG;
- Nov. 25, Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi’s lawyer, Khaled Al- Zaydi stated that he would appeal against the decision to exclude his client from running in the upcoming Presidential elections, scheduled for 24 December. Al- Zaydi said that the decision of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) to exclude Saif Al-Islam, from the elections is “a legal violation”;
- Nov. 24, Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Jan Kubis said that the number of internally displaced persons in Libya continues to decrease, falling to below 200,000 people, compared to 278,000 at the start of this year. In his briefing to the UN Security Council, Kubis said that the humanitarian community is working with the Libyan authorities – at the national and local levels – to accelerate the voluntary, safe, and sustainable return of displaced communities, as part of national reconciliation and stabilisation efforts;
- The British Legal Advisor to the United Nations, Chanaka Wickremasinghe stressed the need for the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without delay. During a briefing to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Security Council on Libya Nov. 24, Chanka affirmed the UK’s support for Prosecutor, Karim Khan in carrying out his important duties, welcoming his report, and his intention to visit Libya early next year;
- Tunisian Foreign Minister, Othman Jerandi praised the political progress made in Libya, and affirmed his support for the upcoming Presidential elections to be held on 24 December. During a meeting with his Congolese counterpart, Jean-Claude Gakosso, the two discussed the current developments in Libya and ways to resolve the crisis;
- Nov. 23, Russian Deputy Envoy to the UN, Gennady Kuzmin called on all parties in Libya to show maximum restraint, and allow the Libyan people to elect a new government. Kuzmin told a UN Security Council meeting on the issue that Libya’s statehood was “razed down to the ground” for the sake of Western states’ ambitions;
- Nov. 23, Total Energies’ CEO, Patrick Pouyanne said that the French oil giant and Italy’s Eni SpA are ready to pump billions of dollars’ investments in Libya, as the North African country emerges from a decade of civil war. The Paris-based firm will put USD 2 bn into Libya’s Al-Waha oil project, which will boost production by around 100,000 BPD, he said. It will also work to raise output at the Mabruk field, and help build 500 megawatts of solar power to feed the local grid;
- Nov. 23, The Libyan Coast Guard announced the rescue of 235 African migrants, who were on board three rickety boats destined for Europe. In a statement, the Coast Guard explained that it handed over the migrants to the competent authorities in the city of Al-Zawiya, without giving any further details. It pointed out that the rescue operation comes within the framework of its humanitarian role, and it completing the procedures necessary for their safe repatriation home;
- The UN Special Envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis has surprisingly resigned less than a year after he took up the role, and a month before planned elections in the North African country, the UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric said Nov. 23. He added that Kubis will remain at his post for the time being, and will brief the UN Security Council on the situation in the country Nov. 24;
- Nov. 23, Egyptian President, Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi affirmed Egypt’s full support for a political solution to settle the Libyan crisis, and voiced his keenness to intensify coordination with the various Libyan parties. These remarks came during a meeting with Mohamed Al-Mnifi, Head of Libya’s Presidential Council (PC). This was on the sidelines of the 21st Summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa’s (COMESA) Heads of State and Government, which kicked off Nov. 23 at Egypt’s New Administrative Capital (NAC);
- Nov. 23, Libya’s 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) held a meeting in Tunisia to discuss the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya. There are an estimated 23,000 mercenaries in Libya, consisting of fighters from Libya’s southern neighbours, in addition to large numbers of Syrians, according to the latest statistics of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
