Tripoli— The latest protests by Libyans against the United Nations Support Mission in Libya’s (UNSMIL) are deepening the distrust between the two parties and have prompted UNSMIL, for the first time since 2011, to remind both the Libyan public and political figures of the UN’s privileges in their country that should not be ignored.
An UNSMIL’s statement released on 27 June said it “is dismayed by statements purportedly from some Libyan political figures that appear to encourage not just demonstrations but going further to actively encourage unlawful actions against UN personnel and property.”
UNSMIL also recalled that “the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations and the relevant agreement concluded between the United Nations and the Libyan authorities, which guarantee the inviolability of United Nations premises” the statement warned.
On 24 June, protesters stormed UNSMIL’s headquarters in Janzour area, west of Tripoli, following a briefing by the head of the mission, Hanna Tetteh, to the UN Security Council on developments in Libya.
According to videos of the storming that circulated on social media, the protesters demanded the departure of the UNSMIL and ending the Government of National Unity (GNU). The storming of the headquarters led to deploying UNSMIL’s armed guards in order to stop the chaos and angry protesters.
However, the official reaction to UNSMIL’s obvious “irritation” from the Libyans came from the head of the Parliament-appointed government, Osama Hammad on 25 June. He called on UNSMIL to “leave the country immediately and to know for certain that its presence in Libya is not wanted,” condemning UNSMIL’S “absurd and irresponsible policies regarding the Libyan crisis,” according to an official statement.
Protests against UNSMIL have increased in the last two years as a result of a growing lack of trust among Libyans of the real intentions of the UN mission.
In light of the failure of the mission to hold general elections and use its mandate to help Libyans form a unified government, the great majority seem to believe that UNSMIL does not aim to solve the political crisis more than it strives to prolong it by means of procrastination and stalling.
Hammad said Tetteh’s briefing to the UNSC “included numerous unacceptable violations, which require clarification of the facts to all the Libyan people and the international community.” Hamad accused the UN mission of contributing to “obstructing the national will and deepening divisions,” and ignoring “the demands of the majority of Libyans who reject political chaos and call for the unification of the executive authority and the holding of fair elections.”
He said “the mission’s continued repeated attempts to legitimize a fait accompli imposed by force have turned it into a party to the crisis rather than a part of the solution.”
The Libyan public opinion has drastically turned against the role of the United Nations in Libya after its failure to organize the much internationally hailed presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December 2021.
Both UNSMIL and the international community have been unable or unwilling to provide reasonable and convincing explanation to just why those elections were suddenly cancelled the day before they took place. Voters were holding tight to their ballots awaiting to take part in the supposedly big national event that never materialized.
The Libyan people watched the huge time, effort and money spent on the preparations of these elections only to plunge into deep sorrow and disappointment that has transformed into distrust and angry towards the whole UN scheme in Libya.
Meanwhile, UNSMIL said in its statement that it “has always welcomed constructive criticism; however, incitement campaigns and rumors being waged against the Mission could also be an indication of an effort to undermine the advancement of any progress toward the development of a political process, which is aimed at the holding of national elections and unified institutions to achieve lasting peace and stability in Libya.”
It also warned Libyans “we remind all parties of their obligation to maintain the peaceful character of any demonstration, and refrain from actions, and to commit to resolving differences through constructive dialogue.”
“All parties are urged to respect the inviolability of United Nations premises, its personnel, and its property and assets in accordance with international law. UNSMIL remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting a Libyan-led political process for the benefit of all Libyan people and will continue to monitor all developments closely,” it added.
