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Egypt Renews Support for UN Mission to Restore Stability in Libya

UN Security Council meeting on Libya (UNSMIL)
UN Security Council meeting on Libya (UNSMIL)
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Egypt Renews Support for UN Mission to Restore Stability in Libya

UN Security Council meeting on Libya (UNSMIL)
UN Security Council meeting on Libya (UNSMIL)

Egypt has reaffirmed its full support for UN efforts aimed at restoring security and stability in Libya, in a manner that safeguards the country’s unity and sovereignty.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Cairo said it welcomed the announcement by Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, regarding the adoption of a roadmap for resolving the Libyan crisis, particularly the formation of an interim government tasked with preparing for national elections in Libya within a specified period ranging between 12-18 months.

Egypt stressed the importance of adhering to this timeline as a crucial step to ensure the credibility of the political process and to meet the aspirations of the Libyan people for stability and development.

The statement underlined that a sound electoral path must lead to the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously, alongside unifying Libyan institutions under a new, unified government.

On Thursday, Tetteh briefed the Security Council on the situation in the North African nation. She proposed a roadmap grounded in three pillars: “the implementation of a technically sound and politically viable electoral framework”, “unifying institutions through a new unified Government” and “a structured dialogue that enables broad participation of Libyans.”

The plan, she stressed, would be gradual, over 12 to 18 months, with safeguards to counter attempts at derailment: “If there is obstruction by any parties, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) can and will take any necessary measures and seek the support of this Council.”

Libya has been fragmented for years between rival administrations in the east and west. The country is now governed by Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah’s GNU in Tripoli and the administration of Prime Minister Ossama Hammad in eastern Libya.

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Arab World

Yemen: Coalition Steps Up Engagement with Aden’s Civil Society

Coalition to Restore Legitimacy oversees the normalization of life and improvement of services in Aden (Government Media) 
Coalition to Restore Legitimacy oversees the normalization of life and improvement of services in Aden (Government Media) 
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Yemen: Coalition Steps Up Engagement with Aden’s Civil Society

Coalition to Restore Legitimacy oversees the normalization of life and improvement of services in Aden (Government Media) 
Coalition to Restore Legitimacy oversees the normalization of life and improvement of services in Aden (Government Media) 

Amid rapidly evolving developments on the ground led by the leadership of the Coalition Forces to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, efforts are continuing to normalize life in Aden, the country’s temporary capital, within a comprehensive vision aimed at restoring the city’s civil character and strengthening the role of the state and its service and security institutions.

Major General Falah Al-Shahrani, adviser to the Coalition Forces to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, has intensified meetings with representatives of civil sectors, activists, and media professionals, seeking to build broad partnerships with Aden’s community and expand participation in shaping and implementing a plan to restore the city’s civil identity after years of conflict.

Alongside the daily follow-up of plans to remove military camps from Aden and restructure and integrate security units, the adviser to the joint forces is giving particular priority to basic services—especially electricity and water—viewed as a practical gateway to restoring public trust and improving living standards.

Al-Shahrani has also been holding regular meetings with journalists, activists, and community figures, listening to their views on the challenges facing the city and the aspirations of its residents in this new phase. Many hope this stage will restore Aden’s economic, cultural, and social standing as one of the oldest cities that embodied values of coexistence and openness.

Participants in these meetings stressed the importance of granting Aden’s residents a greater and more meaningful role in decision-making, noting that they had suffered marginalization in previous periods and that any successful plan to restore the city’s civil character must begin with their inclusion as direct stakeholders.

They also emphasized the need to give top priority to the education sector, describing it as the cornerstone of reconstruction and sustainable development and the primary foundation for rebuilding civic awareness and entrenching a culture of the rule of law.

Participants further called for directing support toward sustainable projects, foremost among them the rehabilitation of buildings damaged by the Houthi invasion of the city in 2015, given the direct impact of such projects on residents’ lives in terms of housing, services, and economic activity.

They noted that discussions with Al-Shahrani were marked by seriousness and transparency, reflecting the Coalition leadership’s determination to listen directly to public concerns beyond rigid official frameworks.

They affirmed that they sensed a genuine commitment and a clear vision to rebuild what the war had destroyed in Aden and other liberated provinces, in parallel with efforts to consolidate security and stability.

 

 

 

 

Arab World

US Transfers ISIS Detainees from Syria to Iraq

 US soldiers at a military base north of Baghdad (Reuters – archive photo) 
 US soldiers at a military base north of Baghdad (Reuters – archive photo) 
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US Transfers ISIS Detainees from Syria to Iraq

 US soldiers at a military base north of Baghdad (Reuters – archive photo) 
 US soldiers at a military base north of Baghdad (Reuters – archive photo) 

US Central Command has launched a new operation to transfer ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq, aiming to ensure that they remain in secure detention facilities and to reduce the risk of instability.

The operation began with the transfer of 150 ISIS militants from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure site in Iraq. US officials say the number of detainees moved from Syria to Iraqi-controlled prisons could eventually reach about 7,000.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, said: “We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS.

“Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”

According to Reuters, the move follows the rapid collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria, which raised doubts about the security of roughly a dozen prisons and detention camps previously guarded by the group.

US officials also discussed the situation with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, focusing on ongoing tensions in Syria, the need for government forces to respect ceasefire arrangements with the Syrian Democratic Forces, and support for the coordinated transfer of ISIS detainees to Iraq.

The US side outlined plans to relocate thousands of detainees in a controlled manner and urged all parties to avoid actions that could disrupt the process.

An Iraqi official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the transfer would help ease growing concerns about possible escapes. He added that holding the detainees in prisons supervised by the Iraqi government, in direct coordination with the United States, would significantly reduce the chances of ISIS rebuilding its capabilities.

Syrian media reported that security forces recently arrested 90 group members who had escaped from al-Shaddadi prison south of Hasakah. The Syrian army later announced it had taken control of the city, imposed a curfew, and launched operations to secure the area and capture fugitives.

Recent government advances, combined with what appears to be a reduction in US support for the SDF, mark the most significant shift in territorial control since the fall of Bashar al-Assad 13 months ago.

The United States said this week that the main objectives of its partnership with the SDF have largely been achieved after years of fighting ISIS.

 

 

 

Arab World

Tunisia Flood Death Toll Rises to Five

 A man removes water from his flooded home in La Goulette, near the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP 
 A man removes water from his flooded home in La Goulette, near the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP 
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Tunisia Flood Death Toll Rises to Five

 A man removes water from his flooded home in La Goulette, near the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP 
 A man removes water from his flooded home in La Goulette, near the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP 

Authorities in Tunisia said flooding caused by three days of exceptional rainfall has killed five people, causing property damage in several provinces and leaving schools and businesses shut and transportation disrupted after parts of the country experienced their heaviest rainfall in years.

The death toll rose to five, Khalil Mechri, a civil defense spokesman told AFP. “Two people swept away by floodwaters, while a woman drowned in her home,” he said.

Mechri said since the flooding started, the emergency services pumped water from 466 inundated homes and have rescued 350 people trapped by floodwaters.

Tunisian media said four fishermen were missing on Wednesday. A fifth was rescued in Teboulba, south of Monastir, while authorities are searching for the remaining crew.

Mechri said while the bad weather was now less intense, “the level of alert remains high.”

President Kais Saied visited several affected areas on Tuesday, including Moknine and Teboulba, local media said.

Footage and videos widely circulated on social media showed significant flooding to homes and roads, with cars stranded in water, particularly in the capital, Tunis.

Authorities suspended classes on Wednesday in public and private schools and universities in 15 of the country's 24 governorates because of the weather. Transportation was also disrupted in several areas.

Abderazak Rahal, head of forecasting at the National Institute of Meteorology (INM), told AFP some Tunisian regions had not seen so much rain since 1950.

“We have recorded exceptional amounts of rainfall for the month of January,” Rahal said, with the regions of Monastir, Nabeul and greater Tunis the hardest hit.

The latest rainfall has proved record-breaking, but Tunisian streets often flood after heavy downpours, largely because of the state of the country's infrastructure.

Drainage and stormwater networks are often old and poorly maintained, particularly in rapidly expanding urban areas, with waste sometimes clogging the system.

Rapid urbanization of some areas has also led to less rainwater being absorbed into the ground, increasing runoff.

The dramatic deluge comes as Tunisia grapples with a seven-year drought, worsened by climate change and marked by a sharp decline in water reserves in dams nationwide.

In neighboring Algeria, several regions have also been hit by massive downpours and floods.

Algerian civil defense authorities said they had recovered the body of a man in his sixties who died in flooding in the northwestern province of Relizane.