NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on Friday, March 22, the discovery of at least 65 migrants’ bodies in a mass grave in Southwest Libya. The circumstance of their death and nationalities remains unknown, but it is believed that they died in the process of being smuggled through the desert, according to IOM. “Each report of a missing migrant or a loss of life represents a grieving family searching for answers about their loved ones or acknowledging the tragedy of the loss,” said an IOM Spokesperson.
- The Stability and Support Militia, led by Gniwah Al-Kikli, announced on Thursday, March 21, that it is intervening to quell the armed clashes at the Ras Ajdir border crossing with Tunisia. The militia pledged to pursue those responsible for undermining security and attacking state security forces stationed at the frontier post under the Interior Ministry’s authority.
-
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said 817 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya from 10 to 16 March 2024. So far in 2024, 2738 were intercepted and returned to Libya, according to IOM.
- Doctors Without Borders, an NGO performing search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean, has accused the Libyan coastguard of hampering an attempt to save more than 170 people making the perilous journey across the sea to Europe. In a statement, the NGO, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), said its ship had come to the rescue of two boats in international waters on Saturday: a small fibreglass boat carrying 28 people and a double-deck wooden vessel with 143 people onboard, which appeared to be in distress.
- At least 2,738 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya since the beginning of 2024, of which 817 (29.84 percent) in the week from 10 to 16 March, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). All the migrants intercepted last week were brought back ashore in Tripolitania, in particular in Zawiya (393 migrants on 14 March and 120 on 15 March), Tripoli (98 migrants on 17 March, 106 migrants on 15 March, 100 migrants on 16 March).
NATIONAL POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stressed the necessity of holding comprehensive presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya with the broad participation of all political forces, including representatives of the former regime. He considered that holding these elections is the way out of the deteriorating situation that the Libyans have been experiencing for more than 13 years “as a result of NATO’s illegal aggression.”
- A lawyer in Libya has filed a legal challenge against the decision by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, to impose a 27% tax on foreign currency sales in the country. Abdel Hafeez Al-Sanousi, the plaintiff’s lawyer, stated that he has submitted an appeal before the Sebha Primary Court, contesting the legality of Saleh’s unilateral decision without the consensus of the other members of the parliament.
- UN envoy to Libya Abdoulaye Bathily said he held consultations with Mohammed Takala, President of the Tripoli-based High Council of State (HCS), focusing on the political process, according to Bathily. Takala shared his assessment of recent developments and reiterated the necessity to address controversies in the issued electoral laws, UN envoy said on X.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- Morocco and Libya have taken a significant step towards strengthening their collaboration in vocational training by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday, March 19. Signed in the Moroccan city of Tamesna, this agreement outlines a comprehensive framework for joint projects, expertise sharing, and overall cooperation in the vital field of vocational skills development.
- The head of Libya’s Administrative Control Authority (ACA), Abdullah Qaderbou, met with the Italian ambassador to Libya, Gianluca Alberini, at the ACA headquarters in Tripoli, where they agreed to bolster bilateral cooperation between the two countries across various oversight and anti-corruption domains. According to a Facebook post by the ACA, the meeting between Qaderbou and the Italian envoy focused on enhancing cooperation in a diverse array of fields, as well as following up on joint projects that Libya and Italy are collaborating on.
- The General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, received on Monday, Marcj 18, in Benghazi, the British Ambassador to Libya, Martin Andrew, and his accompanying delegation. The two parties discussed the latest developments in Libyan and ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries, according to LNA Media Office.
