International monitoring units: Security Council addresses Brotherhood’s tampering in Libya

Mustafa Kamel

The UN Security Council has cut off all the absurd attempts by the Libyan Brotherhood to map the political solution in Libya, announcing on Friday, April 16, that it will deploy international monitoring units to monitor the ceasefire, as it affirmed that there is no way to postpone the elections beyond their scheduled date in about 250 days, stressing the evacuation of all foreign forces and mercenaries from parts of the country, in a position that is legally clear and politically decisive.

Security Council resolution

The UN Security Council resolution issued on April 16, which included the deployment of international monitoring units in cooperation with the 5+5 Joint Military Committee to monitor the ceasefire, carried many messages on the political, security and even social levels, although the most prominent of its provisions is the approval of a request by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to send a special mission of observers to the city of Sirte, with a number of 60 people, to see the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

In its decision, the Security Council stressed the full inclusion and equality of women and youth in the elections, and it also strongly urged all countries to respect and support the ceasefire by withdrawing all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without delay, expressing its grave concern about the exploitation of the situation by terrorist groups.

The Security Council also stressed the need to address the dangers that threaten international peace and security as a result of terrorist acts in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter, in addition to planning for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of armed groups and all relevant non-state armed actors, reforming the security sector, and establishing an inclusive and accountable security architecture with civilian leadership for Libya as a whole.

Preventing opportunity for the Brotherhood

The resolution came to approve the request of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to send a special mission of observers to the city of Sirte to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and prevent the opportunity for the Libyan Brotherhood to tamper.

Observers of the Libyan affair indicated that the Brotherhood organization no longer has a place in the political equation, as the people will dismiss it during the upcoming elections, adding that it would have preferred if Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dabaiba had addressed his speech to the Libyan people, in addition to addressing the international community, but at the same time he affirmed his commitment to what was stated in the decision.

Observers believe that the Security Council’s decision overthrows all maneuvers that were aimed at manipulating the election date, keeping foreign militants in the country, and obstructing the national unity government.

Zahra Naqi, a member of the Legal Committee of the Political Dialogue Forum, considered that the temporary executive authority’s role is limited to preparing for the upcoming elections, stressing that the resolution passed unanimously by the Security Council will place militias, foreign forces, mercenaries, and those seeking to obstruct the political solution and postpone the elections on a hot plate, with its clear hinting of direct intervention to confront the law, legitimacy and international outlaws. She believes the international consensus on this decision represents support for the new executive authority and a clear warning to everyone who tries to prevent the country from achieving security, stability and restoring the state’s sovereignty over all its lands and resources.

Commitment to hold elections

Following the UN Security Council resolution, Dabaiba, the head of the Government of National Unity (GNU), welcomed the decision, expressing the government’s willingness to provide the capabilities to facilitate its work and calling on the Security Council to support the government in the process of expelling mercenaries from Libyan territory.

In a statement, Dabaiba assured the international community that the GNU would place “all material and logistical capabilities at the disposal of the High Electoral Commission, in order to hold free and fair national elections as scheduled on December 24.”

Dabaiba affirmed what was stated in the resolution calling on the House of Representatives and the relevant institutions to expedite the procedures outlined in the road map emanating from the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum to conduct the elections, including clarifying the constitutional basis for elections and enacting relevant legislation, in addition to the importance of conducting national reconciliation as an important entitlement that would prepare for holding elections on time, stressing the support of the Presidency Council for the completion of this file.

Decision is welcomed

The National Human Rights Committee in Libya expressed its great welcome to Security Council Resolution No. 2571 issued under Chapter Seven, and in particular what was stipulated in Articles 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 16 of the text of the resolution, which emphasize the importance of holding presidential and parliamentary elections on time, extending the work of the sanctions committee and expanding its work to include those obstructing the elections and political transition, in addition to supporting the 5+5 committee, and stressing that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable.

The Libyan Presidency Council welcomed the Security Council resolution, which unanimously supports the Presidency Council and the Government of National Unity as the authorities charged with leading the country until the elections in December, calling for the need to respect and support the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya.

Libyan Ambassador to the UN Taher el-Sonni said that the Security Council resolution called on all relevant institutions, especially the House of Representatives, to take the measures outlined in the road map to prepare the constitutional base and enact legislation at a date not later than July 1, so that the High Electoral Commission could hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24, and to invite the Political Dialogue committee to support the process as necessary.

Sonni considered that giving a mandate to the UN mission to support the electoral process and confirming that free and credible elections will allow the Libyan people to elect their representatives and unified authority to enhance the independence and sovereignty of the state, and that those who obstruct the political process, whether individuals, entities, or those who violate the ceasefire, will be subject to sanctions. He also called for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement with the necessity of mercenaries and foreign forces leaving the country without delay, calling on all countries to support the agreement and contribute to its success, respect the arms embargo, not engage in the conflict or contribute to its exacerbation, and ensure accountability for those who threaten security and peace in Libya.