Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
The United States on Saturday welcomed the appointment of Abdoulaye Bathily as Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.
“The outbreak of violence in Tripoli in August underscored the unsustainability of the situation in Libya, making clear the need for all sides to work in good faith and with a sense of urgency to reach agreement on a constitutional framework and concrete timeline for elections,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a statement.
Blinken added, “The United States will provide full support to Special Representative Bathily as he mediates the Libya-led political process, and we call upon the international community to work in lockstep with the Special Representative. The Libyan people have demanded an opportunity to choose their leaders through free and fair elections, which are essential to confer legitimacy and ensure accountability for a new government.
“The United States encourages Special Representative Bathily to prioritize efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in Libya’s state institutions as well as the work of the UN ceasefire monitoring mission as it assists the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission in overseeing the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries.”