Attachments
I. Introduction
1. The present report, submitted pursuant to Security Council resolutions 2510 (2020), 2542 (2020), 2570 (2021) and 2755 (2024), covers political, security and economic developments in Libya. It provides an overview of the human rights and humanitarian situation in the country and of the activities of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The report covers significant developments from 9 August to 4 December 2024.
II. Political, security-related and economic developments
2. The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Stephanie Koury, who is serving as Officer-in-Charge of UNSMIL, continued her efforts to engage with Libyan and international stakeholders to facilitate and advance the political process and lead the country towards inclusive presidential and legislative elections, in line with Security Council resolutions 2702 (2023) and 2755 (2024). UNSMIL assisted Libyan counterparts in addressing a series of political disputes, notably a crisis over the leadership of the Central Bank of Libya, urging restraint to avoid unilateral actions that could deepen tensions.
3. Beginning in August, the Libyan political landscape was affected by several overlapping crises that threatened the country’s fragile stability. On 6 August, internal elections for the President of the High Council of State resulted in a narrow and contested outcome, and an ensuing leadership dispute deepened divisions within the Council. At the end of two rounds of voting, Khaled Mishri had received 69 out of a total of 139 votes, while Mohamed Takala had garnered 68. One blank ballot was invalidated and another was disputed. On 8 August, the Council’s legal committee ruled that the contested ballot had been “cancelled”, confirming that the final outcome was in favour of Mr. Mishri. Both Mr. Takala and Mr. Mishri filed appeals with the judiciary to resolve the dispute.
4. The High Council of State sought to complete internal elections for the remaining positions on 28 August, whereby Naji Mukhtar and Omar al-Obaidi were elected as First Vice-President and Second Vice-President, respectively. However, at the request of the Ministry of the Interior, the session was suspended on security grounds before voting for the rapporteur could take place.
5. On 12 November, Mr. Takala convened a session of the High Council of State to hold a revote for the position of Council President, which was reportedly attended by 73 out of a total 142 members. Mr. Takala was re-elected with 55 votes in favour, as were two deputies and a rapporteur. Mr. Mishri and his supporters boycotted the session and rejected its outcomes, reiterating that the vote held at the session held on 6 August remained valid. UNSMIL continued to engage with both sides to facilitate a solution that would preserve the unity of the High Council of State.
6. On 11 August, the Presidential Council issued a decree establishing a commission for referendums and surveys, with responsibility for conducting referendums on legislative, political or administrative issues. The House of Representatives, however, criticized the initiative in a statement on 12 August, maintaining that the Presidential Council lacked the powers to establish such an entity.
7. On 13 August, members of the House of Representatives met in Benghazi and voted to end the mandate of the Government of National Unity and the Presidential Council, stating that the only legitimate executive in Libya was its designated government headed by Oussama Hamad. The House of Representatives further appointed its Speaker, Aguila Saleh, as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, thereby removing this authority from the Presidential Council. The session was marred by questions over whether the quorum had been met and reports that some members had been unable to attend owing to the cancellation of their flight from Tripoli. The Libyan National Army expressed support for the decision of the House of Representatives, while the Presidential Council, the Government of National Unity and the two contenders for the position of President of the High Council of State condemned it. In a statement on 14 August, UNSMIL expressed concern about unilateral actions by Libyan political actors and institutions that had increased tension, undermined trust and further entrenched institutional divisions.
8. Later in August, a dispute over the leadership of the Central Bank of Libya resulted in the rapid deterioration of political, economic and security conditions across Libya, particularly in Tripoli. On 18 August, the Presidential Council announced two decrees, dated 12 August, to implement a 2018 decision by the House of Representatives to appoint Mohamed Al-Shukri as Governor of the Central Bank and to establish a Board of Directors. The Central Bank of Libya, headed by the then Governor, Saddek Elkaber, rejected these decisions as legally void and suspended its operations. During a session of the House of Representatives held on 19 August, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Saleh, stated that the Presidential Council did not have authority over sovereign institutions. The High Council of State also dismissed the decrees of the Presidential Council. On 22 August, Mr. Al-Shukri declined his appointment as Governor of the Central Bank, citing the need for consensus between the House of Representatives and the High Council of State. The Presidential Council announced the appointment of an acting governor on 26 August.
9. On 25 August, after Mr. Elkaber had left the country, a committee established by the Presidential Council, together with the acting governor of the Central Bank appointed by the Council, entered the headquarters of the Central Bank in Tripoli to take control of its operations. In response to these developments, on 26 August, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the House of Representatives-designated government separately announced the suspension of oil production and exports. The Speaker, Mr. Saleh, announced that this suspension would continue until the Governor of the Central Bank was reinstated.
10. The Central Bank crisis led to a surge in tension between armed groups in Tripoli and the western region as they aligned with opposing sides of the dispute. In a statement on 22 August, UNSMIL expressed concern about armed mobilization in densely populated areas of Tripoli, urging restraint and calling for dialogue to resolve S/2024/895 24-22502 3/15 the crisis peacefully. In an encouraging development on 23 August, the acting Minister of the Interior, Imad al-Trabulsi, announced that regular security forces would replace all irregular units previously deployed in key areas of the city, including at the Central Bank headquarters. The following day, the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid Al Dabiba, established a High Committee for Security Arrangements to oversee the withdrawal of irregular units, in order to help to ease tensions and reduce military presence around the Central Bank premises.
11. In a statement on 26 August, UNSMIL called upon all relevant parties to reach a peaceful resolution of the crisis based on existing political agreements, applicable laws and the principle of the Central Bank’s independence, as well as to ensure the continuity of public services. UNSMIL also called for the suspension of all unilateral actions regarding the Central Bank, the lifting of the force majeure on oil fields, an immediate halt to further escalation and a commitment to refrain from the use of force.
12. From 9 to 11 September, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, visited Libya and met with political, military and civil society leaders in Tripoli, Benghazi and Qubbah. The discussions explored ways to overcome the political deadlock regarding national elections and advance a national reconciliation process. She urged the resolution of the disputes concerning the leadership of the Central Bank and of the High Council of State and progress towards the reunification of the country’s military and security institutions.
13. In September, the Deputy Special Representative facilitated negotiations between the Presidential Council, the House of Representatives and the High Council of State aimed at resolving the Central Bank leadership crisis. She also engaged other Libyan representatives, as well as international partners, advocating a solution grounded in the Libyan Political Agreement, applicable laws and international standards to ensure the impartiality, independence and integrity of the Central Bank. On 26 September, delegates of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State reached agreement, through talks facilitated by UNSMIL, on the appointment of Naji Mohammed Issa Belgasem as Governor of the Central Bank and Maree Moftah al-Baraasi as Deputy Governor. The agreement also included provisions on good governance and the appointment of a Board of Directors of the Central Bank.
14. The new Governor and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Libya were sworn in on 1 October following a vote in the House of Representatives and consultation with the High Council. On 3 October, the National Oil Corporation announced the lifting of the force majeure, thereby enabling the full resumption of oil operations and exports. On 21 October, the presidency of the House of Representatives issued a decision to appoint the Board of Directors of the Central Bank. The full Board held its first meeting on 10 November.