UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – The UN Security Council welcomed the announcement of UN-proposed candidates for Libya’s Government of National Accord, warning that sanctions could be imposed against those who hamper the peaceful transition in the country.
Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Bernardino Leon announced the list of candidates for Libya’s national unity government late on Thursday.
Members of the UN Security Council said in a Friday statement "that the Sanctions Committee is prepared to sanction those who threaten Libya’s peace, stability and security or that undermine the successful completion of its political transition."
In a joint statement issued on Friday, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States affirmed their support for the UN-proposed Government of National Accord saying the international community "will isolate those who fail to respect the Political Agreement."
Libya has been in a state of turmoil since early 2011 after the Arab Spring protests led to a civil war and the overthrow of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi.
There are currently two rival governments in the county: the internationally recognized Council of Deputies based in Tobruk and the self-proclaimed General National Congress, based in the capital city of Tripoli.
The government candidates proposed by the United Nations on Thursday must be approved by both of the rivalling governments in Libya.
UN envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon has stressed that reaching a political agreement would only be a first step towards recovery and reconstruction in Libya.
On Thursday, Leon said that around 2.4 Libyans are in need of humanitarian assistance amid political uncertainty in the country, which has allowed Islamic State (ISIL) militants to gain ground in Libya.
