February 15 marked thirteen years since the people of Libya rose up and deposed the regime of Muamar Gaddafi. But over the ensuing years, Libyans saw little peace. Terrorists attempted to gain a foothold there while political disunity opened the door to warlords who split the country, fighting over territory and oil fields. Caught in the middle of the violence was the civilian population. And in the meantime, heavily armed militarized groups that evolved from militias formed after the 2011 revolution, operate across the country, largely unchecked.
“[The United States is] alarmed by the activities of armed groups in Libya, which operate with impunity and have persistent influence over Libyan security and politics,” said Robert Wood, Alternate U.S. Representative for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations.
“We remain concerned by the number of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by these groups, which include death, injury, or displacement of hundreds of civilians; as well as allegations of unlawful detentions to suppress perceived civil dissent and attacks against civil society. We urge the Panel to continue investigating these acts and identify individuals for possible sanctions.”
Libya’s economy is heavily dependent on its oil exports. Indeed, oil accounts for over 90 percent of the country’s fiscal revenue. Yet the funds are not distributed fairly over Libya’s three historical regions: Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan.
“We … continue to urge Libya’s leaders to commit to implementing a transparent, accountable, equitable system for the management and distribution of oil revenues,” said Ambassador Wood.
“We remain concerned by non-transparent use of Libya’s oil revenues for political and personal gain, which continues to prop up the current system. This includes the illicit export of petroleum products, which the Panel cited has increased in frequency from the east.”
Finally, it is clear that there is no pathway to a future of peace in Libya without elections.
“We urge Libyan political leaders to name their representatives to attend UN-facilitated preparatory talks aimed at addressing the core issues still standing in the way of elections,” said Ambassador Wood.
“Those who continue to delay the process will hold a heavy share of the blame if yet more time passes without the election of a legitimate, unified government.”
The Libyan people deserve change, progress, and hope. They deserve to choose their own leaders.
