NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
- The Libyan General Bar Association has welcomed Tripoli Appeal Court ruling that suspended implementation of illegal Turkish-Libyan energy deal, signed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s government but not approved by the House of Representatives (HoR). This came in a meeting with HoR Speaker in al-Qubba, where the Association Council’s Head and members discussed with Aqila Saleh providing the necessary capabilities for lawyers in Libyan courts, similar to bar associations in other countries, according to HoR Media Office.
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UN envoy to Libya Abdoulaye Bathily said Friday he met Libyan Presidential Council (LPC) Deputy Abdullah Al-Lafi “to review and discuss next steps for bringing stability to Libya including through the national reconciliation process.” “After the National Reconciliation Conference preparatory meeting yesterday, I met Presidential Council Deputy Mr. Abdullah Al-Lafi to review and discuss next steps for bringing stability to Libya including through the national reconciliation process,” Bathily tweeted.
NATIONAL POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
- Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh held talks on Tuesday, December 10, with the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), Saddek Elkaber, at the bank’s Tripoli headquarters to discuss government spending for the year 2022, according to a statement by CBL. The two also reviewed “steps to be taken for the current year to increase disclosure and transparency, as well as the need to ensure fair distribution of development projects,” as per CBL’s statement.
- The Libyan Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, confirmed that his government had obtained a budget estimated at only 1.05 billion dinars (about $200 million) to be spent on all the regions of Libya. Bashagha indicated that it had been allocated to the three emergency committees formed in the East, South and West. This came in his speech during the opening of the pediatric department at Ibn Sina Hospital in Sirte on Monday Monday, after its maintenance.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- The director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, made a surprise visit to Libya today, where he met with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli. According to a statement by Dbeibeh’s media office, Burns “stressed the need to develop economic and security cooperation between the two countries, praising the state of stability and growth witnessed by Libya during the recent period.”
- Special envoys from the US, France, Germany, Italy and the UK are due to meet in Washington on Friday, January 13, to discuss their next steps after Libya’s House of Representatives and High Council of State last week failed to reach a final agreement in Cairo on the constitutional basis for national elections.
- Egypt and Saudi Arabia have renewed their support for an intra-Libyan solution under the auspices of the United Nations during a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers in Riyadh. In a joint statement released by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the two countries have affirmed the need to unify Libya’s institutions as an “important step” ahead of the long-delayed elections.
- Libya’s 5+5 Joint Military Committee 5+5 will meet on Sunday, January 15, in Sirte in the presence of the United Nations envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily. This was reported by local T.V. channel ‘Libya Al Hadath’ without revealing details of the meeting. This is the second meeting of its kind attended by Bathily since his arrival in Libya in mid-October 2022. On the 27th of that month, the Senegalese diplomat had participated in the Committee talks also held in Sirte.
- The head of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi, could have a meeting with Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, during his ongoing visit to Cairo, Italian news agency Nova reports citing unnamed Egyptian sources. In the past few days, Cairo has been the scene for several encounters between Libya’s rival parties. Speaker of Libya’s House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, and chairman of the High Council of State (HCS), Khaled Al-Mishri, met in Cairo last Thursday where they achieved a breakthrough in negotiations the constitutional basis for elections in the country.
- The Tripoli Court of Appeal ruled to suspend implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed between Turkey and the Libyan Government of National Unity regarding oil and gas exploration, according to local media. In early October 2022, the Tripoli-based government and Turkey signed today two memorandum of understandings on hydrocarbons.
- The president of the African Union, Macky Sall, said he was confident that Libya will achieve peace during 2023 through the holding of elections. Sall spoke during an opening speech at the preparatory forum of the National Reconciliation Conference held yesterday in the capital Tripoli, in the presence of the President of the Presidential Council, Mohamd Menfi, and some of the ministers, officials and high-level representatives of the African Union.
- The secretary general of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, underlined the continued support for all efforts aimed at stabilizing Libya and putting an end to the state of division that the North African country has been experiencing for years. Aboul Gheit said in a recorded message for the opening of the preparatory forum for the National Reconciliation Conference, held yesterday in Tripoli, that the Libyan parties should sit at the same table for the good of the country, resolve all outstanding issues and provide a clear vision for Libya’s future.
- The General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, met in Cairo with Chairman of the Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi, according to multiple press reports. Haftar and Al-Menfi reportedly discussed deescalation efforts between Libya’s political parties. This is the second meeting between both leaders. The two first met in February of 2021 in Benghazi.
