NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
- The NGO SOS Méditerranée and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) denounced on Monday, July 10, the shooting of the Libyan coast guard during a rescue operation. The incident took place on Friday, during an operation by the “team of the humanitarian ship Ocean Viking, chartered by SOS Méditerranée in partnership with the IFRC, to respond to a Mayday relay call concerning a small boat in distress in international waters off the coast of Libya,” the two organizations said in a joint statement.
- A Libyan court has jailed 37 people convicted of human trafficking – following the deaths of 11 migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, according to a statement by the office of Libya’s chief prosecutor. Five members of the criminal gang were sentenced to life in prison – others received between one and 15 years. All had been involved in organizing a dilapidated boat that was supposed to take the migrants to Italy. The statement did not say when the deadly shipwreck took place or provide further details.
NATIONAL POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
- The U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned today the arrest of former finance minister Faraj Boumtari as well as the travel ban imposed against five members of the High Council of State. “The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is deeply disturbed by the continued abductions, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances of citizens and public figures by various security actors in Libya,” UNSMIL said in a statement.
- Khaled Al-Mishri, chairman of the High Council of State, has accused Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh of direct responsibility over the travel ban against members of his council. Five members of the High Council of State have been reportedly banned from traveling at Mitiga Airport. Their passports were reportedly confiscated by forces of the Internal Security Service, led by Lutfi Al Harari, a close associate of Dbeibeh.
- Today, July 11, the Libyan High Council of states gave its “initial acceptance” to a roadmap proposal pertaining the implantation of elections laws. The council convened its 88th session during members discussed the proposal and approved it, but requested few amendments, according to a brief statement by the council.
- UN envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, has called on “all Libyan stakeholders draw lessons from the pitfalls and mistakes of 2021 and 2022, and refrain from any actions, including unilateral or non-inclusive decisions, that could precipitate a crisis and divert attention from the common goal of enabling successful elections.” Bathily said in a statement that he had, in the past several months, engaged all Libyan political and security leaders, relevant institutions, civil society, women and youth, as well as notables, municipalities, political parties, and other parts of Libyan society to discuss how to create a pathway to successful, inclusive and credible elections as soon as possible in a secure environment and on a level playing field.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- Khaled Al-Mishri, chairman of Libya’s High Council of State, held talks on Saturday with Turkish Ambassador Kenan Yilmaz in Tripoli. According to a brief statement by the council, the two discussed “the efforts of the High Council of State to achieve elections in Libya, and the attempts of some actors to obstruct and disrupt this path.”
- Chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Menfi, arrived in Kenyan capital Nairobi on Saturday, July 15, to take part in the 5th Mid-Year Coordination meeting between the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms.
- Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, held talks yesterday with the Italian ambassador in Libya, Gianluca Alberini. During the meeting, Dbeibeh recalled the depth of relations between the two countries, underlining the need to put into practice the results of his recent visit to Rome, including holding the Italian-Libyan Economic Forum, as per a statement from Dbeibeh’s media office.
- The Head of Libya’s Higher National Electoral Commission (HNEC), Imad Al-Sayeh, discussed with Russia’s Ambassador in Tripoli, Aydar Aganin, the latest developments in the electoral process and preparations for holding parliamentary and presidential consultations in the country. The meeting, which took place at the headquarters of the electoral commission in Tripoli, discussed the support and expertise that can be provided in the field of electoral process management and implementation, as well as ways to support efforts aimed at to ensure the success of the elections in accordance with international standards.
