UN Special Representative for Libya warns of “economic collapse" in the region

Briefing by Mr. Ghassan Salamé, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), on the situation in Libya [via video conference]
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UN Special Representative for Libya Ghassan Salamé told the Security Council today the status quo in Libya “cannot be sustained” and warned of “economic collapse, the breakdown of public services, and more frequent and intense outbreaks of violence” if tangible progress was not made now.
Speaking via teleconference from Tripoli, Salamé said while for the first months of the year Libya had enjoyed relative quiet from military actions, the last two months have been marked by violent developments. He added that political progress is linked to the absence of military activity on the ground.
Salamé stressed that Libyans long to be rid of their current patchwork of institutions, but warned that a “handful of people defy this popular desire.” He added, “The few who benefit from the status quo will, if left unchecked, do whatever they can to hinder elections; unfortunately, they can do much, especially as they hold crucial, and too often lucrative, official positions.” Salamé declared that without the right conditions, “it would be unwise to conduct elections; without clear and strong messaging to those who would attempt to stall or disrupt these elections, the conditions will not be met.”
Salamé said the recent crisis in Libya’s “Oil Crescent” showed the underlying issues which plague the country, “namely, frustrations with regards to the distribution of wealth and the endemic plundering of resources.” He noted that if these matters are not expeditiously addressed, the agreements made to resume the production of oil would not hold, and it would be difficult to advance the political process.
The UN Special Representative said Libya was in decline adding that in a country where “terrorists lurk, where criminals are waiting to traffic migrants, where foreign mercenaries are increasing in number, where the oil industry hangs in the balance, this should be of concern to all.”
Libyan ambassador Elmahdi Elmajerbi called on the international community to press the Libyan parties to agree on a format to hold elections and commit to accepting the results. He said the UN’s efforts to make the political process in the country Libyan-owned have not translated into reality as foreign interference continued to play a negative role.
Elmajerbi said the stability of Libya and building its institutions was in line with the stability of the countries meddling in Libya’s affairs. He added, “If stability is not achieved in Libya, this would cause many problems for these countries, which in many instances point to my country as a source of problems they face such as illegal migration; and various accusations of human rights violations for migrants and human trafficking, the presence of terrorist organizations, among others.” The Libyan ambassador said these issues could not be fully eliminated “without the presence of a will by these countries to work in good faith and help to find a solution to the political stalemate which has paralysed everything related to the State.”