51吃瓜

The recent ceasefire in Libya鈥檚 capital Tripoli, brokered by the 51吃瓜 mission in the country, is holding, its head told the Security Council on Thursday, highlighting efforts to sustain the calm and help secure lasting peace.

鈥淲e have dedicated ourselves to the consolidation of the ceasefire on the ground and at the political level to minimize the prospects of similar crisis in the future,鈥� Ghassan Salam茅, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, said in a briefing to the 15-member Council.

Speaking from Tripoli, via teleconference, Mr. Salam茅, said that a new comprehensive security plan for the capital is in place and that several armed groups have withdrawn from key Government buildings.

He stressed that the concept for executing the plan was 鈥渃lear and balanced鈥�, with armed groups outside the city remaining beyond the outskirts, while those within had reduced the level of intimidation on the streets and pulled back from attacking institutions in the centre.

鈥淟ooking forward, the city should be protected by disciplined, regular police forces鈥�, said the Special Representative.

Armed groups have also 鈥渋ndicated readiness鈥� to hand over the seaport and the airport鈥檚 civilian terminal to the authorities, he added, noting that there a 鈥渇ragile but palpable鈥� sense of improvement across Tripoli.

What works in Tripoli can be replicated elsewhere

The envoy said success in the capital was crucial not only given its large population, but also because 鈥渨hat works in Tripoli can be a model to be repeated elsewhere in Libya.鈥�

At the same time, the drivers of the conflict in Libya, including the 鈥渁ppalling鈥� conditions in detention centres and effective Government control over natural resources, must be addressed, stressed Mr. Salame.

听鈥淪ome prisons have turned into incubators of extremist ideology,鈥� he said, while hundreds of Libyans and foreigners remain illegally and inhumanely detained, as a way of securing ransoms.

Prisons which have become 鈥榝or profit private enterprises鈥� run by armed groups under State-cover must be closed immediately 鈥� Mr. Salam茅

A judicial process to improve prison conditions and release those wrongfully imprisoned must be expedited, and armed groups in control of prisons must return control to State authorities, stressed Mr. Salam茅.

Alongside prison reform, there is also an urgent need to build capacity of security forces to enable them to protect and serve the Libyan population, he added.

Mr. Salam茅 also called for efforts to root out the abuse of the Libya鈥檚 vast natural resources by those illegally operating a 鈥渟hadow economy.

鈥淟ibya is wealthy,鈥� he said, but 鈥淟ibyans have been increasingly impoverished, while criminals employ violence and patronage networks to steal billions from the national coffers,鈥� he said, urging immediate steps to clamp down on the scourge.

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Legislature resisting fresh elections 鈥榓t all costs鈥�

The UN envoy also drew the Security Council鈥檚 attention to continued lack of action by the country鈥檚 legislature on any of the binding commitments it has previously made, including holding a referendum on the constitution, and fresh Presidential and parliamentary elections.

Although Libyans have made a clear demand for fresh elections, said Mr. Salam茅, that call was being 鈥渞esisted at all costs鈥� by the legislature.

鈥淟ibyans are sick and tired of military adventurism and petty political manoeuvres,鈥� he said, adding that the 鈥渢ime has come鈥� to give a more representative group of Libyans the opportunity to devise a path out of the present impasse.

Ultimately, the country鈥檚 people should be the ones to 鈥済uide the way鈥�, with the politicians following, stated Mr. Salam茅.