Egypt sorry over UNSC support of initiatives ‘aiming at undermining role of legitimate Libyan institutions’

CAIRO - 16 March 2023: Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid expressed on Thursday Egypt's regret over UN Security Council's support of initiatives aiming at undermining the role of legitimate Libyan institutions, state’s news agency MENA reported.

The spokesman was commenting on the UN Security Council's presidential statement on Libya on Wednesday.

Abu Zeid expressed amazement at UNSC's support of an initiative aiming at forming a high-level Libyan team to set the scene and follow up the electoral process, saying it seems as if the UNSC is trying to legitimize these bodies.

He also denounced the use of ambiguous terms such as "effective security bodies", saying such a move contradicts with relevant UNSC resolutions and steps up divisions among Libyans.

He also warned that such a move would undermine chances of holding presidential and parliamentary elections within the framework of a national Libyan consensus.

In a statement Egypt Today obtained a copy of, the UN Security Council said it encourages Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General Abdoulaye Bathily’s initiative to launch a high-level Libyan team for elections facilitated by the UN.

The UNSC said the initiative aims to complement the progress made by other efforts in this regard and bring together stakeholders.

The statement stressed the need for a participatory process that includes representatives of political institutions and figures, tribal leaders, civil society organizations, security agencies, youth, and women to help hold elections in Libya.

Remarks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' spokesman first appeared in media on MENA's website.