The deepening rift in Libyan politics has severely affected the countrys oil production. Almost 11 years after ousting the dictatorship of Muammar Qaddafi, Libya remains a largely ungoverned land divided among warlord-led factions that fight with support from rival foreign countries. In eastern Libya, hard-line Salafi Muslims aligned with Haftars forces control Benghazis mosques and religious programming. In the run-up to the 2021 elections, the judiciary was tasked with vetting presidential candidates and processing appeals to their candidacy. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? It is also expected that Dbeibah will make more overtures to powerful militia leaders like Mahmoud Bin Rajab and the former supreme commander of the armed forces in western Libya, Salaheddin Namroush, in Zawiya as a buffer against the coalition that has crystallized against him. During the upcoming meeting, Council members could consider adopting a presidential statement to send a united message of support to the ongoing UN mediation efforts and reaffirm support to Libya on its path towards elections. Emad Badi: The ouster of Osama al-Juwaili was a reactive measure that formalized his alignment against Dbeibah. Members of the HoR were elected in 2014 in polls that were marked by violence and drew the participation of only about 15 percent of the electorate. Join the Freedom House monthly newsletter, 1850 M St. NW Floor 11 / Social media use is widespread, but digital platforms are rife with disinformation campaigns and propaganda, leading to confusion and low levels of trust among consumers. Under the 2015 Libyan Political Agreement (LPA), the unicameral, 200-seat HoR was to remain in place as the interim legislature. Does the government operate with openness and transparency? Numerous examples of kidnappings and killings of activists, politicians, and journalists have added to the general deterrent effect. A range of political parties organized to participate in the 2012 GNC elections, but all candidates were required to run as independents in the 2014 HoR elections. The Turks have sent messages to the Algerians on their interest in creating a closer collaboration with them in Libya. That demonstrated capacity offers an opportunity that can be expanded by the U.S. governments decision, under its Global Fragility Strategy, to direct a new peacebuilding effort toward Libya. Mohamed Menfi was chosen to lead the Presidency Council; the remaining two members of the council are Musa al-Koni, the GNAs former deputy prime minister, and Abdullah al-Lafi. Despite improvements following the cease-fire brokered in October 2020, political and military violence remained common; human rights violations were widespread, and included unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions. Libyan coast guard forces, which receive support from European governments, work to block such departures and have reportedly abused and exploited the passengers they intercept. Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? As for Ali Zeidan and Mansour Seif al-Nasr, these two Fezzan figures who, by the way, dont get along have been working on a mechanism that prevents non-Fezzan actors in Tripoli and in Benghazi from picking illegitimate representatives for the southern region. Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance? Women are not treated equally under the law and face practical restrictions on their ability to participate in the workforce. Although the vote was unanimous, the negotiations were contentious, as Council members views diverged regarding the duration of the mandate (the UK, penholder on Libya, had suggested a twelve-months renewal) and the frequency of the Secretary-Generals reporting to the Council. Participants intended to agree on a consensual constitutional framework to hold national elections as soon as possible and within mutually agreed timelines. 
Several leading presidential candidates, however, proved controversial due to their political or military connections. There are no effective laws guaranteeing academic freedom. Members voted on electoral lists consisting of a prime minister and a separate 3-member Presidential Council, with each candidate representing one of Libyas three historic provincesTripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan. Fax 212-759-4038 Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune visited Ankara last month and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announcing plans to strengthen military cooperation. Dbeibah has faced further allegations of corruption: his close ties to Qadhafi and his involvement with running the Organization for Development of Administrative Centers (ODAC), a state-owned entity that oversees major public sector infrastructure projects, have drawn increased scrutiny. Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? Laws and social customs disadvantage women in personal status matters including marriage and divorce. The ceasefire continues to hold, but there is a build-up of armed forces supporting both political factions in Tripoli and other locations. Force majeure in this context indicates that the NOC is unable to meet its contractual obligations to deliver oil to the international market. Following the postponements of the December elections, the HoR announced that it no longer recognized the legitimacy of the GNU, though the UN continued to recognize the GNUs mandate. In October 2020, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) facilitated the first round of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF). Militias and semiofficial security forces regularly engage in arbitrary arrests, detentions, and intimidation with impunity. It then submitted the former, the Referendum Law, to the HNEC, but there was speculation that the new law and amendments would face legal challenges. Libya lacks comprehensive laws criminalizing human trafficking, and the authorities have been either incapable of enforcing existing bans or complicit in trafficking activity. Email contact@securitycouncilreport.org, Design: Point Five, NY The need for decentralization is a point of consensus across the political spectrum, but there is disagreement over the extent of that decentralization and no clarity over the future shape of the state. These candidates included Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, son of Muammar Qadhafi; General Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, who has been implicated in war crimes; current prime minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah, who has been implicated in corruption and whose candidacy contravened LPDF stipulations against GNU figures participating in the 2021 elections; and the Speaker of the HoR, Aguila Saleh. The talks which began in April are intended to yield a solid constitutional basis and electoral framework for ending the countrys longstanding political stalemate. Conditions for personal expression are considerably worse in the east than in the west, where residents have somewhat more freedom to criticize government authorities though violent reprisals for critical speech have been reported in both areas. Only Russia has announced its support for Bashagha since his appointment, but it has also indicated that it will respect any leadership decision the Libyans may take. Haftars forces would have never dared to attack Tripoli the way they did in April 2019 if Algeria was playing a larger role. The Amazigh, however, largely boycotted the 2014 CDA elections and had no representatives in the body, and the two Tebu members rejected the draft constitution it adopted in 2017. Militias also engage in criminal activity, including extortion and other forms of predation on the civilian population. Libyas instability resonates widely, permitting the trafficking of weapons to the Sahel and migrants to Europe. UN Special Advisor on Libya Stephanie Turco Williams initiated a dialogue forum to accelerate holding Libyas long-delayed elections and promote dialogue between the rival political factions, which have put forward competing electoral roadmaps. Connect Several Council membersincluding France, the UK and the UShave in the past expressed support for Williams and her initiatives on the ground. Tim Eaton: Nothing meaningful. Tim Eaton: When the U.N. Support Mission in Libya has been weak or without leadership, France has in the past sought to put forward its own initiatives. Despite some legal developments since the fall of the Qadhafi regime, Libya lacks a functioning electoral framework in practice. According to the UNCHR, there are over 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Libya; this number continues to decrease as a result of the cease-fire in October 2020, though many IDPs remain unable to return home.
The GNU was tasked with overseeing the presidential and parliamentary elections that had been set for December. This was a letter submitted to the Council by Germany, France, Italy and Libya transmitting the declaration of the 12 November 2021 Paris Conference on Libya. The number of active nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has declined in recent years due to armed conflict and the departure of international donors. Citizens and civilian political figures are subject to violence and intimidation by the various armed groups. Participating were members of the High Council of State (the executive institution and constitutional authority established by the 2015 Libyan Political Agreement that is mandated to propose policies and recommendations on various political issues) and of the House of Representatives. One can note, for example, that Salem al-Zedma, the deputy prime minister in charge of the Fezzan within the new Government of National Stability, hails from Harawa, a town situated near Sirte completely outside the Fezzan. Thomas M. Hill, Publication Type:
Despite the election of a unified government in March 2021, full control over the national territory has not been established. The regulation also includes provisions that would give the government the authority to reject such registrations and to prevent NGOs from opening bank accounts; NGOs would also be required to obtain prior permission before accepting donations and communicating with international NGOs, including the United Nations. Some trade unions, previously outlawed, formed after 2011. Traffickers have taken advantage of civil unrest to establish enterprises in which refugees and migrants are loaded into overcrowded boats that are then abandoned in the Mediterranean Sea, where passengers hope to be rescued and taken to Europe. In other words, Chengriha may seize such an opportunity to inaugurate Article 91 of the new Algerian constitution, which allows for military operations on foreign soil. Dbeibahs cousin, Ali Ibrahim Dbeibah, longtime head of ODAC, is suspected of having misappropriated massive amounts of public funds. There are no laws that specifically address or criminalize domestic violence, and most such violence goes unreported due to social stigma and the risk of reprisals. Representatives of the GNU and the House of Representatives have since engaged with protesters to end the blockade and resume oil production. Web development: Michael Murphy, Publications on country-specific and regional issues in the Council, Council thematic and structural issues and peace making, keeping and building, Background information on the Council, its subsidiary bodies and activities, In Hindsight: Challenging the Power of the Veto. Following the proposal of the freedom of association regulation, in October 2021, 16 Libyan organizations and 4 public figures drafted and presented an alternative law intended to guarantee NGOs independence and operational freedom. In May, forces loyal to Fathi Bashagha, the prime minister appointed by the HoR, tried unsuccessfully to take over Tripoli. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights and governance-related work? Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. But the old market was forced to close during a three-year surge in fighting between the areas ethnic Tebu and Tuareg communities. This week in Cairo, the United Nations will host the final round of scheduled talks between representatives from Libyas two opposing governments: the House of Representatives (HoR) based in the eastern city of Tobruk and the High Council of State (HCS) based in the western city of Tripoli. Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? This report covered developments in Libya between 25 August 2021 and 17 January 2022.
That rhetorical stance is meant to frustrate Morocco and France, two key backers of the recent alliance of Bashagha, Haftar and Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the HoR. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that there were more than 600,000 migrants representing at least 43 nationalities present in Libya at the end of 2021. Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? Two days before the December 2021 presidential election was set to occur, the HNEC announced that the elections had been postponed by one month, citing inadequacies in the electoral law. The law imposes penalties for extramarital sex and allows rapists to avoid punishment by marrying their victims.
Disagreements over the establishment of an electoral framework and a flawed process for determining candidates eligibility persisted through the end of the year. This is primarily why Dbeibah has sought to prop up figures that would support him like Mohamed Bahroun in Zawiya in order to pre-empt any military move from this coalition on Tripolis western flank. This was the letter from the Secretary-General transmitting the strategic review of UNSMIL.
Projects The negotiations in Cairo resulted in agreement on over 137 articles of the draft constitution. Despite allegations of vote buying, the legitimacy of the LPDF elections, the GNU, and its mandate have been internationally recognized. However, two days before the elections were set to take place, the presidential elections were postponed, after the High National Election Commission (HNEC), tasked with the technical registration and implementation of elections, announced its inability to carry out its mandate. These developments underscore the conclusion that meaningful progress is not possible under the HoRs and HSCs respective leadership. The Bashagha-Dbeibah showdown temporarily resulted in a partial blockade of Libyas oil facilities, the primary source of revenue for the country. Are the peoples political choices free from domination by forces that are external to the political sphere, or by political forces that employ extrapolitical means? Do individuals enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation? Search for experts, projects, publications, courses, and more. Salafi militants, who reject the veneration of saints, have destroyed or vandalized Sufi Muslim shrines with impunity. One name that Ive heard mentioned as her replacement is the former Tunisian minister of foreign affairs, Khemaies Jhinaoui. More than a decade of violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and human rights conditions have steadily deteriorated. There were attempts to reunify the body in the context of the LPDF process in late 2020, but the dispute remained unresolved. Many NGO workers have fled abroad or ceased their activism in the wake of grave threats to themselves or their families. Over 200 Ubari residents gathered in September to formally inaugurate the open-air marketplace, which includes a community park for recreation. The French are exploiting the dramatic ethnic divisions in the southern province in order to emerge as the arbiter of these differences and establish their dominance of this region, which has a strategic relevance for Frances geopolitical ambitions as well as important mineral resources. The complexity of Libyas internal political dynamics mirrors the convoluted patchwork of international actors engagement in the countrys conflict. Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? The Tebu and Tuareg minorities in the south also face discrimination. He lacks the backing of a major state engaged in resolving the conflict but perhaps that gives him credibility as an independent and neutral arbiter. Many NGOs work to document and raise awareness of human rights violations, and advocate for victims of such violations, using international institutions such as the UN Human Rights Council (OCHCR) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). In March, the House of Representatives (HoR) voted in favor of installing the new interim Government of National Unity (GNU), which had been elected by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), a UN-backed political process. Ongoing insecurity has severely disrupted ordinary commerce, allowing armed groups to dominate smuggling networks and informal markets. A central marketplacewhere many of Ubaris 35,000 residents buy produce, household goods and other essentialshas always been a core of the citys life and economy. Russia, on the other hand, has repeatedly called for the Secretary-General quickly to appoint a new head of UNSMIL, saying that the prospective candidate should be acceptable to Libyans, regional stakeholders and the Council. By: Haftar stepped down from his position as General of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF, also known as the Libyan National Army, or LNA) to run in the presidential elections, which were scheduled for 24 December 2021, but are now postponed indefinitely.
711 Third Avenue, Suite 1501 Algeria currently provides some symbolic training to Dbeibahs Defense Ministry.
As the political situation in Libya grows more complex, the search continues for a Special Envoyand subsequently a Special Representativeto lead the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Karim Mezran: France, despite all its declarations in support of multilateralism and a common European policy, has never given up its search for a solution that would enhance its position in Libya. Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism, Emergency Assistance and Thematic Programs. Bashagha has not been able to establish his government in Tripoli, despite several attempts to move there and visits to neighbouring countries to secure support for his political programme, as Dbeibah continues to proclaim the validity of his mandate and his intention to hand over power only to a government elected by the Libyan people. The protests, followed by violent clashes, started on 16 April and caused Libyas National Oil Corporation (NOC) to declare force majeure at several of Libyas oilfields. In 2021, the Ministry of Education introduced new regulations aimed at curtailing the expansion of for-profit private universities and addressing the growing problem of forged university degrees, which are often used to falsely obtain government jobs.
The integrity of the planned elections had been severely compromised by widespread voter intimidation and armed obstruction of the electoral process. The agreement also created the HCS, a secondary consultative body composed of some members of the rival General National Congress (GNC). One of the failings of the last 10 years is that these issues have not meaningfully been debated. In December, the HoR passed and immediately enacted a law allowing the body to reshuffle members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC); the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemned the HoRs actions as an attack on judiciary independence and the rule of law. Following the launch of Haftars offensive against Tripoli in 2019, the HoR became further divided, with members opposed to the campaign meeting in Tripoli and other members continuing to meet in Tubruk.