On Thursday, Martin Kobler, UN special envoy for Libyan crisis, was in Tripoli, for a political meeting with Serraij (Presidency Council-PC) and State Council President Abdulrahman Sewehli. Kobler has also met some deputies of HoR (House of Representatives) who are now in Tripoli. Kobler told that organization of a meeting between HoR and State Council is the main priority. He told at the end of meetings “Libya will rise again”.
The Fuel Crisis Committee, originally established by the Presidency Council’s government of national accord to find solutions to the shortage of fuel in Tripoli, yesterday launched what is being called “Operation Mediterranean Storm” to counter the smuggling of Libya’s subsidised fuel by sea. In cooperation with NOC (Libyan National Oil Corporation) they try to block fuel smuggling by land to Tunisia. However, to preserve the discretion they refute to tell the press of their operations. During an exchange of fire with Libyan Coast-Guard (under GNA force) 4 oil smuggler had been killed.
Italian’s companies still in doubt in their installation in Libya. Indeed, the fear to install Italian companies in Libya remains after the murder of thwo Italian investors last year. And, moreover that security condition, Italy has officially sustained the UN-backed Government of National Accord, in Tripoli, and that has created tentions with the East of Libya, guided by General Haftar. Italian society Emaco, is one of the last Italian society working in Libya, and in all Libyan parts since the faling of Muhamar Ghedaffi. Recent position taking from Rome, could improve the implementation of Italian companies in the country, with the announce of Rome to reopen de deliverance of visa for Libyan citizens.
The Arab League, the European Union, the African Union, and the United Nations renewed their commitment to the Libyan stability, sovereignty, integrity, and the unity of institutions emanating from the Libyan Political Agreement (PA) that signed in Skhirat, confirming the need for peaceful settlement to the Libyan crisis, refusing intimidation or use of military power, and the foreign intervention. The quadrilateral meeting has expressed its oppositions to recent violences in the Oil crescent, and told its preoccupation about recent violences in Tripoli. But it had recalled the necessity to overpass these conflicts to reach peace. The role of regional partners had been underlined, and EU has promised an economical help plan of E120 millions to deal about immigration.
Misrata Political Bloc (MPB) has strongly deplored the statement of UN-installed Presidency Council (PC) about the Friday protest in Tripoli and demanded it to retract it. In a statement, published Saturday morning, the MPB had asked to PC to apologize to Libyan people and Misrata locals, following the racist and hate speeches heard during the manifestaiton of Friday night, which had been dispersed by gunfire, from an unknown group.
The Presidential Council (PC) and the Government of National Accord (GNA) have denounced the violences which took place on Tripoli Martyr Square this Friday. The manifestation had been organized to call General Haftar to bring his Army inside Tripoli to stabilize the country. But during the protest someone has opened the fire on the crowd. At this time (18/03) we still haven’t got any precisions on the number of injured or killed.
Italy has evacuated 22 Libyans wounded these last days during the conflict around Ras-Lanuf and Es-Sider, which has seen the control passing from BDB (Bengazhy Defence Brigade) to LNA (Libyan National Army). Those Libyans had been transferred in Rome, to be treated in the military hospital. It was the first time Italy had helped the wounded from the LNA, which supports the Tobruk parliament and not the rival U.N.-backed government in Tripoli. Since 2016, Italy did some other flights as this one. Italy and EU are involved in the resolution of the Libyan conflict, they have signed with Tripoli an agreement to fight human trafficking and pledged to fund migrant camps in Libya and to train Libyan coast guard to control migration flux.
After 4 days of violent confrontations in Libyan’s capital an agreement of cease-fire had been signed in Tripoli. This immediate ceasefire took under GNA (Government of National Agreement) supervision, previous the relaunch of people who had been caught these last 4 days, and the leaving of armed militia until 30 days. Confrontation had been start Monday evening, after the murder of bank guards. The confrontation was based on the opposition between the GNA and Khalifa Gweil supports, who had been put away of the government in 2015, after the agreement on internal Libyan politic. Tripoli remains an unstable place since the falling of Ghadaffi.
Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry made a phone call to the president of the Libyan presidential council, Fayez Al-Sarraj, in which their discussions mainly focused on the updates of the situation in Libya. Shoukry has confirmed his sustain to Libyan unification, and to the government of Tripoli, leaded by Al-Sarraj. Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies has confirmed the effectiveness role of Egypt in the resolution of the Libyan’s crisis. Egypt, as leading power in the Middle-East, is confirming its capacity to manage regional conflicts, even if the Libyan situation still oscillates between anarchy and stability.
The Tobruck’s government, guided by Abdullah Al-Thinni, had been a meeting in the Cairo to ask more sustain to Haftar’s operations. The visit comes before the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League prior to the Arab Summit that will take place in Amman. But Egypt has also gave its sustain to Tripoli’s government, which sustain BDB (Benghazi Defence Brigade) so the opposition of the HoR (House of Representatives) which act on the ground under the LNA (Libyan National Army). Each Libyan’s governments is trying to receive the sustain of Egypt, but Egypt seems to be more in favour of the GNA (General National Accord) than the HoR, since conflicts in the Oil Crescent. Egypt could be the State who will help to unify Libya, and allowed discussions between the divergent fractions.