AL-AJAYLAT
- Eyewitnesses said that armed men belonging to the militia of Muhammad Bahrun, commonly known as Al-Far “The Mouse”, stormed the university campus in Al-Ajaylat and kidnapped a student from the Faculty of Arts building. Witnesses told Akhbar Libya 24 News that the militia members opened fire indiscriminately, and then kidnapped a student, AbdelMalik Al-Sayeh.
GHARYAN
- Satellite photos from Maxar Technologies show the site of the explosion in the Abu Rashada detention centre in Gharyan. The Libyan government detains migrants in the vicinity of this ammunition depot. The centre is located 100km Southwest of the capital Tripoli. The explosion occurred near the cells, where men, women and children are placed by local coast guards. The local coast guard is financed by the European Union (EU).
NATIONAL POLITICS
- Jul. 4, the Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR), Ageela Saleh, stressed that holding elections on time will enhance security and stability in Libya. In a recorded speech, broadcasted during the opening of the media centre of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC), Saleh said that, “we hope that the commission will continue its work according to a specific time date and strive to provide a democratic climate in coordination with everyone.”
NATIONAL SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION
- An ex-lieutenant police officer from Libya has claimed that the Coast Guard is actively working with smugglers to let the migrants pass to Europe, according to EU Observer news. “The Libyan Coast Guard and smugglers are one together. They are not under the law, they are above the law,” he told EU Observer news Jul. 2. “The smugglers pay money to the Libyan Coast Guard to let them pass [to Europe by sea],” he added. The officer added that the coast guard robs intercepted migrants and refugees of all their possessions, before handing them over to the authorities. “Those that can be squeezed for more cash are returned to detention centers, while the more impoverished are sent to state-run prisons,” he said;
- Jul. 4, a European organization that operates migrant rescue ships said that more than 132 migrants, including women and children, have been rescued and returned to Libya by the Libyan Coast Guard. In a statement, the Ocean Viking, which is jointly operated by SOS Mediteranee and the medical nonprofit organization, Doctors Without Borders said that it had performed its 4th rescue in 4 days. 132 people were evacuated from an overcrowded wooden boat in high risk of capsizing in the international waters off of the Libyan coast. Among them are 9 women travelling alone, 1 child and 40 unaccompanied minors;
- Jul. 3, the Director of the Moral Guidance Department of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Major General Khaled Al-Mahjoub, said that the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) talks, which were concluded in Geneva Jul. 2, failed. The LPDF failed to reach a common ground for the elections, however this failure was “expected.” In press statements, Al-Mahjoub said the participants of the Geneva talks had fallen short of their national obligations, noting that the Libyan people will certainly feel let down as they still aspire to the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights in presidential and parliamentary elections;
- At least 43 migrants drowned in a shipwreck off of the Tunisian coast, as they tried to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy, while another 84 were rescued, the Tunisian Red Crescent said Jul. 3. The boat had set off from Zuwara, on Libya’s Northwest coast, carrying migrants from Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh, the humanitarian organisation said;
- Jun. 30, the Director of Moral Guidance Department at the Libyan National Army (LNA), Major General Khaled Al-Mahjoub, said that the failure to appoint a Minister of Defence was an “embarrassing issue.” In statements to Sky News, Al-Mahjoub explained that appointing a defence minister and his deputies was a necessity; as it will contribute to the unification of the military establishment. He explained that setting a budget for the ministry is one of the tasks assigned to the minister himself. He noted that the letter sent by the 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) to the Libyan Parliament indicates the committee’s strength, concern, patriotism, focus, and its meticulous monitoring of events;
- Jun. 29, the security services in Al-Bayda, with the help of the 166th Brigade of the Libyan National Army (LNA), found 13 Egyptian illegal immigrants in the desert between the cities of Ajdabiya and Tobruk. Sources stated that two members of the group had died, while the health conditions of the rest were very poor;
- Jun. 29, the official Spokesman for the Libyan Parliament, Abdallah Belhaq said that MP’s have failed to approve the 2021 budget during today’s session. In a statement, he added that the Government of National Unity (GNU), headed by Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, is set to appear before the Parliament next Monday, to review the performance of his first 100 days in office. The government apologized for being unable to attend yesterday’s session due to a number of ministers being abroad;
- Jun. 28, Spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA), Major General Ahmed Al-Mismari, denied an attack took place on the Al-Wigh military airport in the south of the country. “Malicious social media pages reported false news of an attack on Al-Wigh Military Airport. This is completely false and baseless news,” Al-Mismari said. He pointed out that Brigadier General Mohamed Al-Khazmi, Commander of the Southern Operations Force, confirmed that all southern borders and airports are under the control and protection of the LNA.
- Jun. 28, the Libyan Presidential Council called on the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba to expedite the nomination of a Minister of Defense without delay. The Presidential Council sent a letter to the Prime Minister, inviting him to attend a meeting that will be held Jul. 4, to discuss the matter. It threatened to refer the decision directly to the Libyan Parliament for a vote, should the PM be absent from Sunday’s meeting.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Jul. 4, that Libya is not the primary source of irregular migration, expressing its regret over the recent tragedy that occurred in the Mediterranean which claimed the lives of at least 43 people. Ankara expressed its deep sorrow over the 866 lives lost in the Mediterranean waters during 2021, claiming that “rescuing lives at sea is a moral, as well as a legal obligation of all states.” Turkey explained that lack of coordination of search and rescue responsibility at sea within the EU, and endeavours to shift international obligations to transit countries, “is posing a threat to the right to life of migrants”;
- Jul. 4, Tunisia’s Foreign Minister, Othman Jerandi discussed the latest political developments in Libya with the British Minister of State for Middle East and North African Affairs, James Cleverly. In a statement, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said that the two reiterated the importance of following up on the implementation of the outcomes of the Berlin II Conference, and helping the Government of National Unity (GNU) to complete the political process and establish the pillars of stability in Libya;
- Jul. 1, Air Malta operated an unscheduled flight to Libya’s Mitiga airport after a 7-Year pauze. The flight transported a Maltese delegation led by Finance Minister, Clyde Caruana, and Air Malta’s Executive Chairperson, David Curmi. The Maltese delegation discussed the resumption of flights between the two countries with Libyan officials. They also agreed to arrange a visit by aviation security experts from Malta’s Interior Ministry to inspect the airports in Tripoli and Misurata;
- Jul. 3, U.S. Special Envoy and Ambassador Richard Norland commented on the failure of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Geneva to reach a consensus on the constitutional basis for holding the upcoming general elections in Libya, scheduled for December 24, 2021. In a statement published by the US Embassy, Norland said “In November 2020, the LPDF members met and made key determinations regarding Libya’s future. The LPDF Roadmap for the Preparatory Phase of a Comprehensive Solution was welcomed by Libyans and the international community alike”;
- US President, Joe Biden affirmed his appreciation for the partnership and bilateral efforts between Algeria and the United States to support stability in the region, especially Libya and the Sahel, Algerian state television reported Jul. 1. Biden also expressed his wishes to expand and deepen cooperation with Algeria economically and culturally, praising the symbolic strength of the two countries’ holidays with their convergent histories;
- Jul. 1, the United States announced that it had added Turkey to a list of nations involved in recruiting and use of child soldiers, linking Ankara to underage fighters deployed on the battlefields of Libya and Syria. The US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report said that Turkey has provided “tangible support” to Syria’s Sultan Murad rebel group, which recruited and used underage combatants in the country’s decade-long civil war,
- Jul. 1, Libyan Parliament Speaker, Ageela Saleh arrived in Athens, on a two-day official visit to discuss bilateral cooperation, his Spokesman Abdullah Belhaq said. Saleh was accompanied by the Libyan Parliament’s Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee MP, Youssef Al-Agouri Chairman of the Defense and National Security Committee MP, Talal Al-Mihoub, and MP Suleiman Al-Harari.
- Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov accused NATO of destroying the Libyan state due to its intervention and policies in Libya since 2011. “When NATO intervened in Libya, it contributed to the destruction of the state,” Lavrov told reporters after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu in Antalya Jun. 30. “But now it is necessary to contain all Libyan parties to engage in the political process, including the Libyan National Army (LNA),” Lavrov added. The Russian FM expressed his conviction that the Libyan people should regain control of the affairs in their country.
- Jun. 30, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio confirmed that Rome was paying very close attention to the meeting of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) being held in Geneva, under the auspices of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). “Following the Second Berlin Conference, Italy renews its support for the Libyan political process that will culminate in holding the country to the elections scheduled for Dec. 24,” Di Maio said in a statement issued by the Italian Foreign Ministry;
- The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, Refaat Mohammed Alabbar, and his accompanying delegation, met with the directors of two Emirati energy companies ADNOC, and Mubadala. They discussed joint cooperation in the oil sector, and the development of oil facilities. The meeting also included a discussion on the goals of the Government of National Unity (GNU), with regard to developing the oil and gas sector. They also discussed benefiting from the use of modern technologies that would contribute to raising production rates, and increasing cooperation and investment, “in order to serve the desired goals for optimal utilization of the country’s natural resources,” according to the ministry’s media office;
- The Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Piero Fasino, said that the postponement of the Libyan elections will not only contribute to delaying the transitional process, but will expose it to several risks. He stressed the need to respect the timetable agreed upon at the Berlin Conference. In an interview with the Italian magazine “Formica”, Fasino confirmed that the recent calls to respect the date of the elections at the end of 2021 were increasingly strong and frequent. He pointed out the discussion of this matter between US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and Italian President, Sergio Mattarella during their meeting in Italy;
- Jun. 28, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken met with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita in Rome during the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Blinken tweeted about the meeting, emphasizing discussions on shared interests regarding regional peace and stability. “Good meeting today with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita… We discussed developments in Libya and our desire to see stability and prosperity there,” Blinken tweeted;
- Jun. 28, the Libyan Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Mangoush met with her Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, in Rome. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations, and ways to enhance them in various fields to serve common interests. The two sides also discussed the importance of supporting all international efforts to lay the foundations for security and stability in Libya, and move forward towards further development and prosperity. The meeting was attended by Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Ambassador to Italy;
- Libya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Najla Al-Mangoush, took part in the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which took place in Rome, Jun. 28. The meeting was headed by Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio their American counterpart, Antony Blinken, and representatives of 83 other members. In her speech, Al-Mangoush stressed that this meeting confirms the determination “to do our duty to protect our homelands from an extremist organization that destroyed cities and villages, plundered homes, and killed innocents.”
