PRESS STAKEOUT ON THE SITUATION IN LIBYA (UNSMIL)
BY A-3 (GABON, GHANA & KENYA)
Friday, 29 April 2022
Good afternoon.
1. The A3, namely Ghana, Kenya and Gabon, have just come from the Council where the vote on the renewal of the mandate of UNSMIL has taken place.
2. For the fourth consecutive time, the Security Council could not agree on a sufficiently substantive renewal of the mandate ending up with yet another technical rollover.
3. We regret that the widening divisions in the Security Council are unfolding at a crucial juncture in Libya that demands a unified Security Council action for tangible progress in the consolidation of a sustainable peace that the Libyan people are craving for.
4. The real victims of political divisions in the country and in the Security Council are Libyans who pay a high price for their quest for peace, development and democracy. We urge the people of Libya to press on and not allow their aspirations to be held hostage by such divisions which are inspired by self-serving interests.
5. We call on the Parties in Libya to calm down, engage an inclusive dialogue, and settle their differences politically bearing in mind that a military option will not provide a sustainable solution to the root causes of this crisis.
6. We call on the United Nations, the African Union and all international partners to support Libya for a national dialogue and reconciliation, and to hold credible and transparent elections.
7. We denounce foreign interference in the Libyan crisis. Libya should not be the battlefield of foreign powers. We demand the synchronized withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries. We call on measures to mitigate the impact of the security situation in Libya on the entire subregion.
8. Finally, we reaffirm our respect for Libya’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence.
Thank you.
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