UN Libya envoy Abdoulaye Bathily resigns, cites mediation difficulties
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Abdoulaye Bathily has submitted his resignation to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
On Tuesday, Bathily announced his decision, citing considerable difficulties in his mediation efforts.
He regretted that his efforts to encourage discourse and resolve problems were greeted with “stubborn resistance, unreasonable expectations, and indifference to the interests of the Libyan people.”
Bathily, who began his tenure in September 2022, emphasized the urgent need for Libyan authorities to establish a political settlement through diplomacy and compromise.
He underlined the significance of putting the aspirations of Libya’s 2.8 million registered voters ahead of the influential minority.
Libya has had little peace or stability since a NATO-backed revolt in 2011, and it was divided in 2014 between eastern forces in Benghazi and western factions in Tripoli, with opposing administrations ruling in each territory.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) was put in place in 20211 to aid Libyan transitional authorities in “post-conflict efforts”, providing mediation in implementing Libyan political agreements, supporting key Libyan institutions and monitoring and reporting on human rights.
