Bathily: Unified Gov’t in Libya is Imperative for Elections

Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily. AFP
Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily. AFP
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Bathily: Unified Gov’t in Libya is Imperative for Elections

Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily. AFP
Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily. AFP

Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily has urged the Libyan stakeholders to adhere to the progress achieved in addressing the “shortcomings” that hamper holding the presidential and legislative elections the soonest.

He considered that the latest steps “give us cautious optimism” that Libyan stakeholders can come together “to address issues of common concern for the greater good of the nation.”

“A unified government, agreed upon by the major players, is an imperative for leading the country to elections,” Bathily told the US Security Council on Tuesday.

“I continued my intensive engagement with the main Libyan stakeholders to achieve three main objectives: Firstly, to convince the House of Representatives and the High State Council to consider proposals from the High National Elections Commission, other Libyan actors – and there are many – and UNSMIL, to address the legal loopholes and technical shortcomings in the draft electoral laws prepared by the 6+6 Committee of the two Chambers.

Secondly, to explore the possibility of convening a meeting of the main stakeholders or their representatives to reach a political agreement on the four main politically contested issues outlined during my last briefing to this Council.

And, thirdly, to sustain dialogue among the security and military actors to cultivate a security environment that enables progress on the elections and sustainable stability for the country,” said Bathily.

Moreover, he revealed that he intensified consultations with the President of the Presidential Council, the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, the Heads of the House of Representatives and High State Council, and the Commander of the Libyan National Army.

“I shared written proposals to address the technical flaws and contested aspects of the draft electoral laws,” he stated, adding that “all Libyan leaders have agreed in principle to the amendment of these drafts.”

“I urge the two chambers and the 6+6 Committee to resume work and finalize the electoral laws to make them implementable so as to draw a reasonable timeline for elections.”

“I am working with the President of the Presidential Council, Mohammad Menfi, to explore jointly convening Libyan-led and UNSMIL-facilitated negotiations between Libya’s main political and institutional leaders. In parallel, I have broached the subject with House of Representatives Speaker Agila Saleh, the then High State Council President Khaled Mishri, Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar.”

“Although significant resistance to holding a face-to-face meeting persists on the part of certain actors who wish to maintain the status quo, steps are being taken. In this regard, Presidential Council President Menfi informed me three days ago of his meeting in Benghazi, with HoR Speaker Agila Saleh and LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar, to explore concrete progress on the political track.”

He added that efforts to put in place a Libyan-owned mechanism for transparent management of public funds have finally yielded a positive result.

He welcomed the Presidential Council’s decision last month to create a High Financial Management Committee tasked with overseeing public finances and promoting fairness, accountability, and transparency in public spending.

He also said that Central Bank Governor Siddiq El-Kabir stated on August 20 that the reunification of the Central Bank of Libya as a sovereign Libyan institution has been finalized.

“Both the establishment of the High Financial Committee and the positive steps towards the reunification of the Central Bank give us cautious optimism that, with political will, Libyan stakeholders can come together, in an inclusive manner, to address issues of common concern for the greater good of the nation,” Bathily told Council members.

He also stressed that “armed groups and security actors, who commit violence against civilians, must be held accountable.”

He further remarked on the ongoing discussions on the “dynamics hampering tangible progress in the full implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, the reunification of the military institutions, and the withdrawal of foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries.”

“Once again, it is essential that all parties preserve the security gains achieved in recent years,” he added.

Bathily went on to say that “upholding Libya's stability is even more critical now in light of the recent clashes in Tripoli, the regional turmoil in Sudan and Niger and the combats that took place in Tibesti region, in the south, a few days ago, between the Chadian Army and armed elements.”

“Without an inclusive political agreement that paves the way for peaceful, inclusive, and transparent elections across Libya, the situation will worsen and cause further suffering to the Libyan people.”



49 Killed by Israeli Strikes in Gaza over 24 Hours, as Mediators Scramble to Restart Ceasefire

Palestinians inspect the damage at Al Farabi school following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, 25 April 2025. (EPA)
Palestinians inspect the damage at Al Farabi school following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, 25 April 2025. (EPA)
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49 Killed by Israeli Strikes in Gaza over 24 Hours, as Mediators Scramble to Restart Ceasefire

Palestinians inspect the damage at Al Farabi school following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, 25 April 2025. (EPA)
Palestinians inspect the damage at Al Farabi school following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, 25 April 2025. (EPA)

 

At least 49 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, according to health officials, as Arab mediators scrambled to restart a ceasefire.
An airstrike in a neighborhood in western Gaza City early Saturday morning, flattened a three-story house, killing 10 people, according to a cameraman cooperating with The Associated Press. The number was confirmed by Gaza’s Health Ministry, along with three more people who were killed in the Shati refugee camp along the city's shoreline.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the strikes.
The attacks come as Hamas said on Saturday that it sent a high-level delegation to Cairo to try and get the stalled ceasefire back on track.
Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas last month and has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is destroyed, or disarmed and sent into exile. It says it will hold parts of Gaza indefinitely and implement President Donald Trump’s proposal for the resettlement of the population in other countries, which has been widely rejected internationally.
Hamas has said it will only release the dozens of hostages it holds in return for Palestinian prisoners, a complete Israeli withdrawal and a lasting ceasefire, as called for in the now-defunct agreement reached in January.
Hamas said Saturday that the delegation will discuss with Egyptian officials the group's vision to end the war, which includes the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and reconstruction.
Earlier this week, other Hamas officials arrived in Cairo to discuss a proposal that would include a five-to-seven year truce and the release of all remaining hostages, officials said.
Egypt and Qatar are still developing the proposal, which would include the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to an Egyptian official and a Hamas official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
Meanwhile, Israel has continued its nearly two-month blockade on Gaza even as aid groups warn that supplies are dwindling.
On Friday, the World Food Program said its food stocks in Gaza had run out, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory. The WFP said in a statement that it delivered the last of its stocks to charity kitchens that it supports around Gaza. It said those kitchens are expected to run out of food in the coming days.
About 80% of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million relies primarily on charity kitchens for food, because other sources have shut down under Israel’s blockade, according to the UN The WFP has been supporting 47 kitchens that distribute 644,000 hot meals a day, WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa told The Associated Press.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 of the Hamas group, without providing evidence.
The war began when the Hamas-led group stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. The militants still have 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.