January 10, 2018•Update: January 11, 2018
By Walid Abdullah
TRIPOLI
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman arrived in Libya on Wednesday from Tunisia for talks on the country’s political process.
“Feltman would discuss with Libyan leaders the implementation of the UN Action Plan for the country,” the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Twitter.
It said the UN official will also discuss ways by which the world organization can further strengthen its support to the Libyan people.
On Tuesday, Feltman called on Libyan actors “to engage in earnest in an inclusive political process leading to credible and fair elections.”
In Tunisia, Feltman held talks with Tunisian Foreign Minister Khamis al-Jahnawi on developments in Libya. UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame attended the talks.
In September, Salame unveiled a proposed roadmap for resolving Libya’s longstanding political crisis, which calls for holding presidential and parliamentary polls within one year.
The plan is ultimately aimed at establishing a “unified, representative” government within the framework of a 2015 political agreement -- that has since been slightly modified -- between the country’s rival political camps.
Libya has remained dogged by chaos and political uncertainty since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime President Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.
The ensuing power vacuum swiftly led to the emergence of several competing seats of government -- including one in Tobruk and another in capital Tripoli -- and a plethora of heavily-armed militia groups.
