UN Envoy to Libya Resigns, Citing Challenges in Advancing Political Process

Abdoulaye Bathily, the United Nations envoy to Libya, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing significant challenges in moving forward the political process in the face of leaders prioritizing personal interests over the country's needs. He submitted his resignation to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, expressing concerns that the UN "cannot successfully move" support for the political process amid such conditions.

Appointed in September 2022, as reported by Reuters, Bathily has accused key Libyan leaders of deliberately obstructing international efforts to bring peace and of continuously working to indefinitely delay elections.

He warned that Libya has become "a fierce battleground" for regional and international actors who are vying for control over the country's position and resources, making a solution increasingly elusive.

In an initial briefing at a Security Council session about the situation in Libya, the envoy, who also serves as a Special Representative for the UN Secretary-General, expressed regret over his unsuccessful attempts with Libya's five main stakeholders to resolve all contested issues related to electoral laws and the formation of a unified government. These attempts, he noted, were met with "stubborn resistance, unreasonable expectations, and indifference to the interests of the Libyan people."

Since the end of 2022, the UN-led efforts to resolve Libya's political crisis through elections have faced national and regional setbacks, highlighting a deliberate challenge to engage seriously and an insistence on permanently delaying the elections.

Bathily remarked that amidst entrenched positions and complex regional and global dynamics, the challenges facing the UN-led efforts in Libya have become significantly clear. Despite continued and extensive engagement with key institutional actors, their stances "still significantly impede the efforts to advance the political process."

This resignation highlights the ongoing difficulties in navigating Libya's complex political landscape, where external influences and internal divisions complicate the path to stability and peace.