NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
- The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, has called on the Libyan Presidential Council to hand over Colonel Muanar Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, and former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi. In a meeting between him and the President of the Presidential Council, Mohamad al-Menfi, in Tripoli, the ICC Prosecutor stressed that the situation in Libya “is a priority for his office,” calling for the need to “respect international law, to achieve justice,” according to a statement by the Presidential Council.
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The federal government, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), on Tuesday, said it evacuated 117 irregular Nigerian migrants from Libya, according to News Agency of Nigeria. The evacuation exercise came barely a week after the Nigerian Mission in Tripoli successfully evacuated 137 stranded Nigerians from Libya. Kabiru Musa, Chargé D’affaires en titre of the Nigerian Mission to Libya said the evacuees, who included 89 men, 22 women, two children, and four infants, left Tripoli at 1:00 p.m. and were expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 6:00 p.m.
NATIONAL POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
- Libya’s House of Representatives will convene for a session in its Benghazi office on Monday, November 7th.This was announced by House Speaker Aguila Saleh in a letter to lawmakers, which was released on the parliament’s website. According to the letter, the session will be dedicated to discuss “a number of laws listed on the House’s agenda”.
- The Egyptian president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, and the Algerian, Abdel-Majid Tebboune, agreed on the need to push for holding presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya as soon as possible, in their meeting on the sidelines of the Arab summit held in Algeria. The two presidents also agreed on the need to preserve Libyan national institutions, achieve security and stability, and preserve the unity and sovereignty of the neighboring country, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidential spokesman, Ambassador Bassam Rady.
- Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, announced on Monday that his government plans to reopen border with Sudan. The Tripoli-based premier made the announcement during his opening speech of the “Free Zone for Transit Trade” economic forum, organized by the Libyan-Sudanese Chamber of Commerce in the Libyan capital.
- Fathi Bashagha, the Libyan prime minister designated by the House of Representatives, have held talks France’s Special Envoy to Libya, Paul Soler, the French Embassy announced. In a brief statement via Twitter, the embassy said the two discussed “the need to finalize the constitutional basis” and “hold presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible”.
- Secretary-General of Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, renewed the demand for the exit of mercenaries, foreign fighters and all foreign forces from Libya. This came during a meeting Aboul Gheit held with UN envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, on the sidelines of the Arab summit held in Algeria, according to the League Spokesman, Jamal Rushdy.
- The General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, said “We are getting close to making a decisive decision with a pure popular will to determine the path towards restoring the Libyan State.” “We will move in line with the will of the Libyan people, after all previous tracks brought us to a dead end and disappointing results,” Haftar stressed during a speech he delivered in al-Jufra in the middle of the country. LNA Commander pointed out that experience had proven that any comprehensive solution or initiative would not succeed without the approval of the Libyan people.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- Fathi Bashagha, the Libya prime minister designated by the House of Representatives, held talks with Jean-Claude Gakosso, the foreign minister of Congo-Brazzaville, and a diplomatic delegation representing the African Union.
- Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Friday reiterated criticism of last month’s deal between Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli government on energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean. The deal is based on a maritime demarcation accord signed between the two countries in 2019 which has been condemned by Greece and Cyprus and criticized by Egypt and Israel. Libya’s eastern-based parliament, which backs an alternative administration, has also rejected it.
- Mohamed Menfi, chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, arrived in Algeria on Monday to participate in a summit of Arab League Council. Upon his arrival, Menfi held talks with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Arab League Council summit is scheduled to take place between the 1st and 2nd of November.
- Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush discussed the situation in the country with U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Yael Lempert, during a meeting today on the sidelines of Arab League Council summit in Algeria. The bilateral talks focused on “the political developments in Libya” and “the efforts of Government of National Unity to stabilize the country […] in order to conduct national elections on a constitutional basis and fair and impartial electoral laws,” according to a statement by the Libyan Foreign Ministry.
