Libya Security Highlights (March 11-17, 2024)

NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES

The Minister of the Interior of the Government of National Unity, Imad Trabelsi, has arranged for the dispatch of reinforcements to guard the Ras Jedir crossing, located on the border with Tunisia. A statement by the Tripoli ministry explains that the Law Enforcement Department of the General Administration of Security Operations, in charge of protecting vital infrastructure and urban access points, has been instructed to deploy to the Tunisian border to support the Directorate of Security and the police forces “in action against smuggling, security violations and other negative phenomena”.

The Tunisian National Guard has announced that two migrants died and 34 went missing when their boat sank off the coast of Zarzis. On another boat, at least 60 migrants drowned in the central Mediterranean after setting off from Zawiya, Libya, as reported by the Agence France-Presse which quoted survivors rescued by the Ocean Viking ship operated by the SOS Mediterranee rescue organization. The non-governmental organization, based in Marseille, France, stated, “Survivors reported that at least 60 people, including women and at least one child, died during the journey.”
The eastern region of Libya, under the control of the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has witnessed a sharp decline in the number of illegal migrants departing for Europe, according to the Italian news agency Nova. While the start of 2023 surprisingly saw more migrants leaving from eastern Libya than the western coast, only 50 migrants have departed from the Cyrenaica region this year. This is in stark contrast to the thousands who have set off from areas under the Tripol-based government led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.

According to survivors rescued by the Ocean Viking ship operated by the SOS Mediterranee rescue organization on Thursday, at least 60 migrants drowned in the central Mediterranean after setting off from Zawiya, Libya, as reported by the Agence France-Presse. The non-governmental organization, based in Marseille, France, stated, “Survivors reported that at least 60 people, including women and at least one child, died during the journey.” AFP noted that the Ocean Viking is currently heading to a safe port with 224 survivors on board, who were rescued during three consecutive rescue operations.
The General Command of the Libyan National Army (LNA) has welcomed the results of the Global Terrorism Index report issued by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The report placed Libya for the first time in years outside the top of the countries affected by terrorism in the 2024 report, after it ranked seventh in 2023 on the list of countries affected by terrorism. In 2024, Libya ranked 39th, directly behind France, with a drop rate of 7 points, recording the best improvement among the countries of the Middle East and North Africa since 2010.

Twelve people were injured after storage of the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) went up in flame last night in El Karimia district, Tripoli. Libya’s Ambulance and Emergency Service said three members of the Civil Defense suffered minor injuries, while nine other people suffered from suffocation due to the blaze. The causes of the fire was not immediately clear, but the scale of it appeared to be massive as shown by images and videos shared on social media. Eyewitnesses reported they have heard sound of explosion in the area.

NATIONAL POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) welcomed the outcome of the meeting held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, where Libyan parties agreed to oversee presidential and parliamentary elections and affirm Libya’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial unity. In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs commended the efforts of the Arab League in facilitating the dialogue and achieving the significant consensus towards a political settlement in Libya. The ministry expressed hope that the agreement would be an important step towards enhancing security and stability in Libya, complementing the efforts of the United Nations mission.
The Arab Parliament welcomed the outcomes of the meeting hosted by the Arab League in Cairo, which brought together the heads of Libya’s three ruling bodies – Mohamed al-Menfi of the Presidential Council, Aguila Saleh of the House of Representatives, and Mohamed Tekala of the High Council of State. The meeting, sponsored by the Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, aimed to support a political settlement leading to presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya.

European leaders issued a statement on the occasion of Ramadan, urging Libya’s political rivals to use the holy month as an opportunity to overcome their differences and agree on a roadmap to restore stability and democracy. The joint statement from EU ambassadors and the EU Mission in Libya congratulated the Libyan people on Ramadan’s arrival and called on all parties to embody the spirit of the month by releasing arbitrarily detained prisoners as “a good will gesture.”

UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily has called for the urgent need of electoral law implementation and forming a unified government to pave the way for elections in the country. During a meeting with four High Council of State (HCS) members, Bathily addressed Libya’s political deadlock and the necessity of finding a resolution, according to a statement posted by Bathily on social media.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi arrived in Benghazi where he met with Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA). Piantedosi led a top delegation which included Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli and foreign intelligence chief Gianni Caravelli. According to a statement by LNA’s media office, Piantedosi’s visit comes “within the framework of dialogue and exchange of views between the two friendly countries, and to strengthen partnership and cooperation in the security, economy and trade”.

Abdoulaye Bathily, the UN Special Representative for Libya, met with Mohamed al-Menfi, head of Libya’s Presidential Council, to discuss the results of the trilateral meeting hosted by Cairo that brought together al-Menfi, Mohamed Tekala of the High Council of State, and Aguila Saleh, Speaker of the House of Representatives. The statement issued after Sunday’s Arab League-sponsored meeting stressed “the necessity of forming a unified government tasked with overseeing the electoral process and providing essential services to citizens.” It also called for “unifying sovereign positions to ensure their effective role at the Libyan state level,” in addition to unifying sovereign positions in institutions still experiencing divisions in the country.

UN Special Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, met with the Russian Ambassador to the country, Aydar Aganin, to discuss the political and security situation in the country. Bathily reported this on X, adding: “We have called on all Libyan leaders to agree on a credible path to hold the elections and avoid the serious risks facing their homeland.”
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the German Federal Government through the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) announced today the launch of an EU-funded initiative to foster renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, as well as mitigate and adapt to climate change in Libya. UNDP is providing support under the project ‘Support to Energy Transition and Climate Change Mitigation’ in close collaboration with relevant National Authorities and Public Institutions.