UN Optimistic on Libya Election Date

UN acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams (Reuters)
UN acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams (Reuters)
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UN Optimistic on Libya Election Date

UN acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams (Reuters)
UN acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams (Reuters)

The United Nations acting Libya envoy expects coming political talks to designate a date for national elections after the country’s two warring sides agreed a ceasefire last week.

“What resonates is a clear and direct desire for there to be elections in as rapid a timeframe as possible,” Stephanie Williams told Reuters on Tuesday.

“Whatever executive authority they agree on really needs to have a clear focus - preparing for the elections,” she added. “I do fully expect there to be a date designated for elections.”

The UN official said she was hopeful for the talks, citing a recent lack of fighting, progress in ending an eight-month oil blockade and reopening internal transport routes, and involvement of figures from across Libya’s political spectrum.

“We have learned from previous political processes not to exclude any political constituency and so in this dialogue you do also have representation from the previous regime,” Williams stated.

“That’s why I’m much more optimistic because I think there’s more buy in.”

She acknowledged some in Libya’s political class may seek to block progress but said “they are increasingly in a minority”, citing protests in Tripoli and Benghazi this summer over corruption and poor services.

“I hope we hear more voices in the international community pushing, pressuring both the internal and external actors to take advantage of this very positive dynamic,” she said.

William’s optimism, however, has been faced with rejection of many Libyan parties to the UN mission’s plan on launching an inclusive political dialogue in the country.

The Supreme Council of the Libyan Tribes and Cities stressed its rejection to the scheduled talks in Tunis next month. It said the UN mission has failed to announce a mechanism for selecting candidates, noting that many selected figures are “advocates of terrorism,” in an implicit reference to the Muslim Brotherhood.

In its statement on Wednesday, the Council highlighted the domination of Islamic organizations and their allies on the list of those invited to the round table event and the exclusion of national actors and influential social components.

Libya has been split since 2014 between factions based in the capital Tripoli, in the west, and in the city of Benghazi, in the east.

Last week, a truce was agreed in Geneva by Fayez Al-Sarraj’s Tripoli-based UN-backed Government of National Accord and Khalifa Haftar’s eastern-based Libyan National Army.

Meanwhile, members of the Security Council welcomed the permanent ceasefire agreement signed by the 5+5 Joint Military Commission on Oct. 23 in Geneva following talks facilitated by the UN.

The members of the Security Council called on the Libyan parties to abide by their commitments and implement the agreement in full, urging Libyan parties to show the same determination in reaching a political solution through the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).

They also welcomed the launch of the LPDF on Oct. 26 with a virtual meeting and looked forward to the in-person meeting of the LPDF in Tunisia on Nov. 9.

The members recalled their resolution 2510 (2020) and the commitment of the participants of the Berlin Conference to comply with the arms embargo and to refrain from intervening in the armed conflict or in the internal affairs of Libya.

They called on Member States to respect and support the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya.



Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Egypt to Counter Any Threat to Its Water Security 

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). (Getty Images/AFP file)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). (Getty Images/AFP file)
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Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Egypt to Counter Any Threat to Its Water Security 

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). (Getty Images/AFP file)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). (Getty Images/AFP file)

Egypt has warned it will take “necessary measures” to protect its historical rights to Nile waters, following new statements by Ethiopian officials that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is only the beginning of a wider dam-building plan.

A senior Egyptian official, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, said Cairo remains committed to securing a binding agreement that regulates current and future projects on the Nile and its tributaries.

“Egypt will act to safeguard its water security in line with international law and treaties governing transboundary rivers,” the official said.

“We have always known Ethiopia has broader ambitions beyond the GERD. That’s why we’ve insisted from the beginning on a binding agreement, not only to limit the harm from GERD but to regulate any future projects as well.”

He added that Egypt considers Nile water a matter of national survival and would “resist any threat with full force.” Cairo is closely monitoring whether Ethiopia’s new dam plans will involve the Nile or other river systems, he said. “Each case will be assessed accordingly.”

The comments came after Ethiopia’s GERD Coordination Office head, Aregawi Berhe, told local media on Wednesday that the dam was “only the first step” in the country’s strategy for water and energy development.

“We cannot rely on just one dam,” he said, calling for additional projects to support agriculture, which he described as the backbone of Ethiopia’s economy and food security.

Berhe also said the GERD was built entirely with domestic funding, pushing back on earlier remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting American financial involvement.

'Vital lifeline’

Egyptian lawmaker Mostafa Bakry described the Ethiopian statements as “provocative” and accused Addis Ababa of seeking to impose a fait accompli, despite ongoing deadlock over the GERD negotiations.

“Ethiopia is treating the GERD as a closed chapter and is now openly discussing what comes next,” Bakry said. “Cairo has known from the start that Ethiopia wants to build dozens of dams under the pretext of development and agriculture. But the real goal is to control the river and limit Egypt’s water supply.”

“This is an existential matter for Egypt,” he warned. “We will not tolerate threats to our survival. Ethiopia must reconsider its course before the situation escalates.”

Ethiopia’s latest declarations come amid renewed international attention on the Nile dispute, following comments by Trump expressing concern over the dam’s potential impact on Egypt. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed the remarks and reiterated his country’s reliance on US mediation to broker a final agreement.

Earlier this month, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the completion of GERD construction and set September as the date for its official inauguration, inviting Egypt and Sudan to attend. Cairo swiftly rejected the call, denouncing what it sees as Ethiopia’s continued unilateralism on Nile issues.

Skepticism

Egyptian water and Africa expert Dr. Raafat Mahmoud dismissed Ethiopia’s justification that future dams would support agriculture. “Most of Ethiopia’s terrain is unsuitable for conventional irrigation. It’s a rugged highland that relies on rainfall,” he said. “Even GERD was completed with great difficulty and at high financial cost. Additional dams will face the same hurdles.”

He argued that Ethiopia’s ambitions are driven less by development and more by geopolitical aspirations. “This is about positioning itself as a regional power and countering Egypt’s influence in Africa. It’s also part of a broader effort to gain access to the Red Sea and build a naval presence there.”

Still, Mahmoud said Egypt is unlikely to take immediate action unless a direct threat to its water supply materializes. “As long as there’s no measurable harm, Cairo will likely stick to diplomacy. But under international law, it reserves the right to act if its vital interests are jeopardized.”

He added that many of Addis Ababa’s announcements are aimed more at domestic audiences than at regional planning. “These public statements are often designed to rally Ethiopian citizens, even when they don’t reflect the realities on the ground.”