Ahmed Shaaban (Cairo, New York)
The UAE welcomed the adoption of the decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, expressing its hope that agreement will be reached in the future to renew the mission’s mandate for a longer period, in a manner that enhances its effectiveness and efficiency, and makes it able to build on the progress made in the political process led and owned by Libyans with the support of the United Nations.
The state stressed the importance of the Security Council continuing to speak with one voice in support of Libya and achieving the aspirations of the Libyan people.
Yesterday, with the approval of 12 members and the abstentions of Gabon, Kenya and Ghana, the Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) for a period of three months, i.e. until October 2022.
In a statement to the Security Council, the UAE stressed the need for the mission to be able to implement the recommendations of the independent strategic review and implement its mandate to the fullest, so that it can develop its long-term strategies to support the Libyans in their efforts to achieve peace and stability.
The UAE expressed its hope that the mission will return to work under the leadership of a Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the near future, in accordance with Resolution 2629/2022.
The Security Council resolution called on the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, to urgently appoint a Special Representative of the Secretary-General. It also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Security Council every 30 days a report on the implementation of this resolution.
In addition, diplomats and political analysts valued the UAE’s call at the UN Security Council, last Tuesday, for all Libyan parties to join the national reconciliation initiative.
They stressed that the UAE call reflects the comprehensive vision of the Arab countries calling for reconciliation and the elimination of armed militias and foreign interference, and a call for the Libyan parties to reach an understanding among themselves to implement the constitutional obligations in order to restore the state institutions that preserve the entity of the Libyan people.
Ambassador Mohamed Hegazy, former assistant foreign minister for African affairs, considered that the UAE’s call is a serious vision that foresee a solution on the consensus between the brothers in Libya, and the parties’ call for reconciliation over the establishment of institutions and a constitutional solution, away from the confrontations that the Libyan people pay for.
He added to Al-Ittihad that the national reconciliation initiative is the basis for rebuilding the Libyan nation and joint work between the brothers for the sake of the elevation of this country, and to reach solutions away from the conflicts that afflicted the future of Libya.
Hegazy described the UAE’s vision, saying: “It is a wise call that comes in the context of the Emirati policy that seeks to achieve the Arab good and achieve reconciliation among the people of the one nation in order to raise the status of Libya, and its return to occupy its place in the Arab family.”
For his part, Ambassador Salah Halima, Deputy of the Egyptian Council for African Affairs, valued the Emirati call, stressing that it is a call that emphasizes the need to stop external interference in Libyan affairs, end the presence of foreign forces and various militias, and allow the Libyan people to exercise their right to self-determination in elections freely through institutions.
In a statement to Al-Ittihad, he said that this call receives great regional and international support, stressing the UAE’s great role in achieving security and spreading peace and stability in many conflict-ridden areas.
The researcher in African affairs, Mohamed Ezz El-Din, considered that the UAE has always sought to foster peace on the African continent, as happened in Eritrea and Ethiopia, and other countries.
For her part, Dr. Amani Al-Taweel, Director of the African Program at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that issuing this invitation from the UAE is of great importance at this time, noting that the national consensus of the Libyan parties is an institutional idea to be a platform for political stability. In order to achieve the UAE’s call, the expert on African affairs stressed to the “Union” the need to respond to the call for national reconciliation by all Libyan parties.
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