Libya claims UN is threatening its sovereignty

The Libyan government sent a letter expressing its “deepest condemnation and concern” to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the President, and the members of the Security Council, Libya Update reported on October 23^rd.

Referring to Hanna Tetteh’s (UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Libya) statements about Libya and the tensions between the House of Representatives and the High Council of State and its detrimental effect on the UN-backed political roadmap, the letter called them “serious fallacies and blatant interventions in the internal affairs of the Libyan state and its political institutions.” In the letter, the government accused the UN of curating its actions and mechanisms in accordance to “private visions not based on any legal foundation.”

Citing Article 2 of the UN Charter, the letter described the actions of the UN as an infringement on the principle of the unity and territorial integrity of the state. The government further reiterated: “Libya is a unified state with a unifying national identity that cannot be fragmented or interpreted.”

The government claimed that the mission had overstepped by positioning “itself as a guardian over the legislation regulating the electoral process,” allegedly violating the established system of sovereignty and separation of powers.

Further elaborating on the infringement upon its sovereignty, in reference to the UN’s workings within law enforcement agencies and the Central Bank, the Libyan government clarified its standpoint of considering this to be internal matters that do not come under the purview of the mission.

The letter further claims that the mission did not effectively communicate with the government. The letter expressed its contempt for the mission by referring to its work with the judiciary as politicised.

Having been dissatisfied with the workings of the mission and its advisors, the government urged the General Secretariat to conduct a “comprehensive review of the advisory body’s composition and ensure that its personnel adhere to impartiality in accordance with Article 100 of the UN Charter.”

The government backed the restructuring of the UN Support mission in Libya, “both in its composition and its operating locations, to ensure balance among Libya’s regions, consolidate impartiality and professionalism, and restore confidence in the UN’s role as a supportive factor, not a source of conflict.”