NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
- International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that 36 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya in the period of 8-14 January 2023. IOM said that 1,067 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya in the period of 1-7 January.
NATIONAL POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
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- Central Bank of Libya (CBL) Governor Siddiq al-Kabir met with Economy Minister Mohamed al-Huwaij, at CBL headquarters in Tripoli. The meeting was held within the framework of strengthening joint cooperation between the Bank and the Ministry, CBL said in a statement.
- After the conclusion of the latest meeting of the Joint Military Commission (5+5) in Sirte, SRSG Abdoulaye Bathily called on the national authorities “to recommit to fully supporting the implementation of Libya’s 2020 ceasefire agreement.” He called upon the government to allocate “appropriate resources and step up political efforts to end the stalemate and reestablish legitimacy to Libyan institutions through elections.”
- The Central Bank of Libya (CBL) announced that its reserves of gold are still the same without decrease since August 20, 2011, in response to the report of the World Gold Council on gold reserves in Libya. CBL stated in a statement on its official Facebook page that it had carried out an international audit of gold reserves during the year 2022, and the results confirmed that the bank maintained the same reserves without any change since August 2011.
- The Libyan Dignitary Council announced Monday its reservations about the mechanism of convening the preparatory meeting for the National Reconciliation Conference. The Council called on the Presidential Council to reconsider organizing a comprehensive national conference in accordance with legal, scientific and technical standards, working on drafting an elaborate law for reconciliation.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- The Libyan Audit Bureau signed with the Spanish Court of Accounts a cooperation agreement dealing with the development of censorship work in several fields. The agreement, which was signed by the Bureau President , Khaled Shakshak, and the President of the Spanish Court, Enriqueta Chicano, includes the development of control work in several areas, the most important of which are training, consultations, exchange of experiences, and the preparation of manuals for censorship work in addition to digital transformation, according to the Bureau on its Facebook page.
- The Libyan writer and political analyst, Abd al-Rahim al-Burki, said the Turkish Intelligence Chief, Hakan Fidan, on his visit to Tripoli, made a political reconciliation deal between Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, Head of the outgoing Government of National Unity (GNU), and Khaled al-Mishri, Head of the High Council of State (HCS).
- The Head of the Libyan outgoing Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, received in Tripoli, the Turkish Intelligence Chief, Hakan Fidan. The two parties discussed “local, regional and international issues of mutual concern,” according to a statement by Dbeibeh’s media office. The meeting was held in the presence of GNU Foreign Minister, Naglaa al-Mangoush, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Adel Jumaa, and Minister of Communication and Political Affairs, Walid al-Lafi.
- The visit of the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency William J. Burns to Libya was surrounded by a halo of mystery and a lack of details about its reasons, which opened the door to wide speculation, especially about its timing. The visit came weeks after the handover of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud, suspected of making the bomb that destroyed a passenger plane over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 that killed 190 Americans, amid rumors that more suspects will be extradited.
- Meetings of the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) resumed its meetings at its permanent headquarters in Sirte, in the presence of the UN envoy Abdoulaye Bathily and his accompanying delegation, according to the Director of Moral Guidance Department of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Major General Khaled Al-Mahjoub.
- The Chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed Menfi, met in Cairo with the General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar, and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, Italian news agency Nova reports.
