Libya Stabilization Act: US bill that ends conflict and violence, paves way for peaceful elections

Mustafa Kamel

In a new step towards Libyan stability, the US House of Representatives approved a bill called the Libya Stabilization Act, which provides for granting the United States the possibility to punish foreign parties that support terrorist groups in Libya in the event the government collapses and the ceasefire agreement ends. The sanctions under the draft law will expire on December 31, 2026, in a step through which the parties to the conflict will prove their goodwill to reach a permanent political solution in order to avoid the sanctions that will be imposed on them if they violate the provisions of the new draft law.

Libya Stabilization Act

The press office of the US House of Representatives announced on Tuesday, September 28, that the House adopted an amended version of the Libya Stabilization Act, which aims to punish foreign parties that interfere in Libyan affairs. The office tweeted that the amended law received the approval of 386 representatives, while 35 were opposed.

The bill provides the United States with the possibility to punish foreign parties that support factions and groups in Libya in the event of the collapse of the government and the ceasefire agreement, as both Democratic Representative Ted Deutch and Republican Representative Joe Wilson submitted the bill to the House.

The bill gives the US president the ability to reprieve sanctions if the parties to the conflict in Libya agree to a sustainable ceasefire and prove their good intentions to reach a lasting political solution in the country.

The legislation urges the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide humanitarian assistance to individuals and communities in Libya, including health assistance, food, shelter and support for an effective response to the corona pandemic. It also calls on the State Department to work to strengthen democratic governance in Libya by providing assistance in order to unify Libya’s financial and government institutions and to ensure free and credible future elections in the country.

Punishment of violators

The Libya Stabilization Act punishes those who support mercenary soldiers and militias, violators of the UN arms embargo, and perpetrators of human rights violations in Libya. The bill calls on the United States to take a more active role in conflict-resolution diplomacy in order to support humanitarian assistance, stressing democratic governance, civil society and future elections in Libya, as well as an emphasis on improving public sector financial management, specifically the central bank and the Libyan National Oil Corporation.

The draft bill provides for imposing property and visa bans on people who contribute to violence in Libya, in addition to punishing those who commit acts that threaten peace and stability in the country, are responsible or accomplices in human rights violations in Libya, or stole assets of the Libyan state or its natural resources.

Regarding the draft bill, Libyan Envoy to the United States Mohammed Ali Abdallah tweeted, “This bill supports efforts to stop destabilizing actors and shows widespread support in the US Congress to hold free and fair elections in Libya. Positive engagement by the international community at this time is part of what is required to achieve a lasting democracy in Libya,” adding, “This law will require the US president to submit a list of people to be sanctioned within 180 days of its issuance, and yhe US government will update the list annually.”

Meanwhile, the US embassy in Libya considered that the participation of Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the ministerial meeting on Libya during the current 76th session of the UN General Assembly as another high-level evidence of US support for Libya. The embassy stated that Libya is seriously preparing for the upcoming December 24 elections, which is proof that “there is no turning back.”

The Libyan government, headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dabaiba, expressed its satisfaction with the provisions of the US bill to achieve stability in Libya.