NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
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A German charity has accused the Libyan coast guard of threatening its crew members who were rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, causing at least one migrant to drown. The German charity SOS Humanity, which operates the rescue ship Humanity 1, said the Libyan coast guard used violence and fired live bullets into the water during its “life-threatening intervention” on Saturday, March 02.
NATIONAL POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
- Major General Saddam Khalifa, Chief of Land Operations for Libya’s National Army, was awarded a doctoral degree in military sciences from Egypt’s Nasser Higher Military Academy for Advanced Strategic Studies in a formal ceremony on Thursday, March 5. The degree was conferred by decree of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Supreme Commander of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
- U.S. Special Envoy to Libya Ambassador Richard Norland said he “had a good meeting” with outgoing Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli on Tuesday, “at a time when Libyan leaders are facing the need to address serious budgetary and financial issues.” “We discussed the importance of all Libyan stakeholders engaging constructively with the UNSMIL political process to remove remaining obstacles to elections, including the formation of a caretaker government,” US Embassy quoted Norland.
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As EU elections approach, the Italian branch of SOS Mediterranee has launched a “petition to change the direction of policies on sea rescues” of migrants and refugees, the organization’s director Valeria Taurino said from a port on the Italian island of Sicily. “We want to launch a petition to change the direction of policies on sea rescues,” Taurino said from onboard the Ocean Viking ship moored at Siracusa port on February 29.
- Italy and with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed agreement to facilitate and promote the participation of youth and persons with disabilities in Libya’s electoral process through the High National Elections Commission (HNEC). With one million USD committed by Rome, UNDP and HNEC will ensure inclusivity for the two groups often under-represented in electoral processes. This will include using sign language call systems to enable the employment of people who are hard of hearing as electoral staff and voters and the purchase of Braille printers to engage those who are visually impaired, particularly on election day.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Libya signed on Tuesday, March 5, a new cooperation agreement with the British Government aimed at preventing human trafficking and increasing the provision of vital humanitarian assistance along one of the most critical migration routes worldwide. The agreement was signed during a UK high-level delegation visit to IOM Libya’s Migrant Response Centre in Tripoli, IOM said in a statement.
- The Foreign Ministers of the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have expressed their “support for the efforts of the United Nations to reach a political solution, hold elections and unify state institutions”, urging Libyan institutional subjects to “participate in political dialogue to resolve differences in order to preserve the supreme interests of the State”.
