Africa

Libya's GNA Says UNSC Accepted Request to Hold Sanctions Committee Session on Arms Embargo

TRIPOLI (Sputnik) – The United Nations Security Council has approved a request by the Tripoli-based Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) to hold a session of the Sanctions Committee at the end of July over violations of the arms embargo imposed on the country, Libya’s permanent representative to the UN, Taher El-Sonni, said on Thursday.
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"The Security Council, chaired by Germany with support of a number of countries, follows up Libya’s request to organize a special hearing of the Sanctions Committee And the Panel of Experts," El-Sonni wrote on Twitter.

The session is scheduled to be held at the end of July in the presence of the states "involved in violating the arms embargo, attempts of oil smuggling and other breaches of UNSC resolutions," the Libyan representative added.

Last week, the GNA submitted the official request via its Permanent Mission to the UN in New York to hold a meeting of the Sanctions Committee over breaches of the UN arms embargo that took place earlier in July. The request comes as part of the GNA efforts to "uncover the countries that have provided support to militias."

In February 2011, the UNSC imposed an open-ended embargo on Libya in a bid to stop supplies of arms and military equipment to and from the North African country, citing human rights violations there.

As of today, Libya is divided between two main centers of power — an elected parliament in the country's east, supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and the UN-backed GNA in the west, headed by Fayez Sarraj.

Turkey and Egypt have also been involved in the situation by providing military assistance to the GNA and the LNA, respectively.

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