UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed to the Security Council that former Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum be the organization’s new envoy to Libya, but the United Arab Emirates blocked his appointment, according to diplomats.
Also read Crisis in Libya: Failure of a new UN mediation
During a Security Council meeting on Monday 27 June devoted to the situation in Libya, some countries such as Ghana and France again called for the post vacant since November to be filled “as soon as possible”. Since autumn, the renewal of the UN political mission (Manul) has only been possible for short periods of a few months, in particular because the Council could not agree on a new emissary. Manul’s mandate expires on July 31.
“Regional Concern”
Last week, after several unsuccessful attempts, the head of the UN proposed the name Sabri Boukadoum to the 15 members of the council. “Only the United Arab Emirates refused,” a diplomat, who asked not to be identified, told AFP. The Emirates represent the Arab world as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. According to several other diplomats, the Emirates stated that “Arab countries and Libyan parties had expressed their opposition” to the appointment of the former Algerian official. These sources have not identified the countries and parties involved. There are “regional concerns” about Sabri Boukadoum’s appointment, said one of those diplomats, stressing that choosing a national from a country bordering Libya poses a problem. His work was “impossible,” this source added, explaining the Emirates’ position.
Also readMSF calls for new humanitarian corridors for migrants stranded in Libya
Libya, the scene of numerous interferences and international rivalries, has long been a headache for the UN chief when it comes to choosing a new envoy. The next incumbent will be the ninth in 11 years, a Libyan diplomatic source recently noted. After more than a decade of chaos following the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya, plagued by divisions between rival institutions in East and West, has had two rival governments since early March, between 2014 and 2021, then in the midst of a civil war War. A solution to this political crisis is not yet in sight.