J0MUN XIII INTRODUCTION KEY TERMS BACKGROUND. JoMUN XIII Security Council. The situation in Libya

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1 J0MUN XIII JoMUN XIII Forum: Issue: Student Officer: Position: The situation in Libya Hannah Madelon Deputy President INTRODUCTION Libya is an oil- rich country in Northern Africa and is bordered by Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Chad, Niger, and Sudan. Libya was ruled by a King following its independence from Italy in 1942, but he was deposed by Colonel Gadhafi in 1969, beginning a 42 year long dictatorship that continues to have ramifications for Libya today. Following Gadhafi s fall from power, Libya installed an interim government and began reconstruction of the country. While the United Nations has praised Libya for its progress in negotiating for the re- establishment of a new government between two opposing political parties (unsmil.unmissions.org), the political instability within Libya still has not been resolved and there is still much work to be done in regards to not only this issue, but to lifting UN imposed sanctions on Libya and parties within it. To this end, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has the goal aiding Libya not only with the listed issues, but to aid Libya with the protection of human rights and the control [of] unsecured arms and other materials (UNSMIL Mandate) and the United Nations has already passed 14 resolutions regarding Libya s current situation and the situation leading directly to it. This research report will outline the situation in Libya by identifying key issues and involved parties and will also outline possible solutions to the current situation. KEY TERMS Rival government (new GNC) An illegitimate government that exists while a legitimate (internationally recognized) government is in place. In this context, the rival government is the new GNC, a political party that lost the elections in July of 2014 that is based in Tripoli, the capital that they illegally seized. To date, Tripoli remains under their control. Militia A militia by its dictionary definition is a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities in opposition to regular armies (Oxford Dictionaries). In Libya, there are several militias which operate without government approval and against the legitimate government. Examples are the Libya Dawn and the Ansar al- Sharia. Key terms are already defined in- text. BACKGROUND Libya was ruled by King Idris al- Sanusi following its independence from Italy in King Idris al- Sanusi ruled until 1969 when he was deposed in a coup led by Colonel Muammar Gadhafi. Muammar Gadhafi would rule as a dictator until During his time in power, which is referred to as the Gadhafi era, Libya and its citizens suffered economically, socially, and politically due to institutionalized chaos from Gadhafi and numerous

2 violations of the human rights of Libyan citizens and prisoners. Resistance against Gadhafi grew, building to a point in 2011 when the United Nations authorized air- strikes on Libya. In August of 2011, Gadhafi was killed (Libya Country Profile- Overview) In August of 2011, Muammar Gadhafi, the former dictator of Libya, was overthrown from power following a mandated military intervention, ending his reign and allowing for reconstruction and the formation of a new government. In September of 2011, UNSMIL was mandated by Resolution 2009, with aims to aid with Libya s transition to a transparent, democratic government, as well as protecting human rights and with the control [of] unsecured arms and other materiels within Libya (UNSMIL). Its mandate has been extended four times, as it was only supposed to remain in Libya for three months. After Resolution 1973, a panel of experts was established with the aim of overseeing the situation in Libya and the Libyan government and reporting on said situation to the UN ( Resolution 1973). Its mandate has been extended five times, most recently until April 30 th, ( Resolution 2213) An interim government was established and was then changed in 2012 following Libya s first democratic election since the appointment of Gadhafi. However, tension between Islamists, other political parties/factions, and the internationally recognized government itself prevented the establishment of a permanent government over all of Libya, leading to what is considered by some to be the Second Civil War in Libya in 2014, although others, including the United Nations, do not seem to share this belief (Military). Following this, the General National Council (GNC), which is recognized internationally to be the legitimate government of Libya, was forced out of Tripoli, Libya s capital, in August of 2014 by Libya Dawn and was forced to flee to Torbuk (Chothia)(Pannell). Following this, an alternative government/parliament was set up, which was led by Omar al- Hassi until March 31 st, 2015 due to allegations that he lied about government revenue. His aide, Khalifa Ghweil, is the interim leader. (Libya Crisis) The UN has sponsored peace talks in Morocco between the two governments to resolve the situation and has praised them both for their progress thus far. (United Nations Hails Progress) Along with these events, following the establishment of the interim government, accusations of human rights violations of protestors and prisoners against the interim government were made by the Human Rights Watch and by Libyan citizens. (Libya) Finally, the killings and abductions of Egyptian Coptic Christians conducted by the Islamic State (IS, aka Islamic State in Iraq and Syria [ISIS], aka Islamic State in the Levant [ISIL]) has raised alarm with Egypt. Egypt proceeded to conduct air- strikes over the Libyan city of Derna to eradicate IS, sparking allegations of war crimes as the air- strikes killed civilians. (Egypt Bombs IS) (Libya: Mounting Evidence) The has passed the following resolutions concerning the situation in Libya following Gadhafi s deposition in August of 2011, and aspects thereof, as shown in this table from

3 TIMELINE JoMUN XIII

4 MAJOR PARTIES INVOLVED United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) A special political mission created by the in Security Resolution 2009 on September 16 th, 2011 with mandate of aiding Libya with the transition of (and the transition to a democratic, transparent) government, promoting the protection of human rights, and aiding the government with eradicating illicit weapons trade and has a focus on women s empowerment. UNSMIL has aided Libya in all these areas since its creation by aiding with elections, the creation of Libya s new constitution, advocating for human rights, and more. (UNSMIL Mandate) UNSMIL can and does facilitate peace talks in Morocco between the rival governments of Libya and has done so as recently as March 20 th, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) The UNDP has been involved with Libya s government and transition to democracy since the first democratic election held in Libya (July 7 th, 2012). Like the UNSMIL, the UNDP provides support to the GNC, however, has a more exclusive focus on the development of Libya s government. The UNDP has established the UNDP Capacity Strengthening Initiative (CSI) which aims to increase and strengthen the capacity of the government by providing local and international expertise. The UNDP also focuses on anti- corruption, civil society empowerment (informing citizens about anti- corruption and the importance of the involvement of citizens in the political process, especially that of women and youth), economic recovery and sustainable environment. (UN IN LIBYA) General National Congress (GNC) The current internationally recognized government in Libya. Following its forced ousting from Tripoli, the GNC established its base in Turbouk. Due to this, the GNC has lost control over Tripoli. (Pannell) The GNC faces human rights abuse allegations as well as accusations of being unable to reign in the militias that currently occupy areas of Libya and commit human rights abuses. (Libya) (World Report 2014: Libya) The Alternative Government (run by Islamist Militia); New GNC The alternative government is based in Tripoli and was formed after Islamist militia forced out the internationally recognized GNC in August, It calls itself the new GNC but it is not recognized internationally or by the UN. The new GNC is a major source of conflict and political division in Libya and threatens to destabilize the entire country if the political division is not resolved peacefully. (Libya Country Profile- Overview) Misrata A city in Libya that supplies militia for the new GNC in Tripoli and is one of the new GNC s main supporters. (Pannell) Panel of Experts A group of eight experts with the following tasks in relation to Libya according to Resolution 1973 (March 17 th, 2011): (a) Assist the Committee in carrying out its mandate as specified in paragraph 24 of resolution 1970 (2011) and this resolution;

5 (b) Gather, examine and analyse information from States, relevant United Nations bodies, regional organisations and other interested parties regarding the implementation of the measures decided in resolution 1970 (2011) and this resolution, in particular incidents of non- compliance; (c) Make recommendations on actions the Council, or the Committee or State, may consider to improve implementation of the relevant measures; (d) Provide to the Council an interim report on its work no later than 90 days after the Panel s appointment, and a final report to the Council no later than 30 days prior to the termination of its mandate with its findings and recommendations; ( Resolution 1973) Libya Dawn A militia that used to be a part of the resistance against Gadhafi. They now have control over parts of western Libya, including Misrata and Tripoli. They took Tripoli in 2014, forcing the GNC out. They are mainly based in Misrata. (Chothia) Egypt After the Islamic State [in Iraq and Syria/ in the Levant] (IS; ISIS; ISIL) was suspected of murdering Egyptian Christian citizens, Egypt conducted air- strikes in Derna, a city in Libya. (Egypt Bombs IS) The air- strike is believed to have killed civilians, which is causing tension between Libya and Egypt (Libya: Mounting Evidence). IS/ISIS/ISIL A terrorist organisation that operates in the Middle East and more recently in several countries in Northern Africa after gaining footholds. It is speculated that they have a foothold in Libya after the murder of several Egyptian Epostic Christian citizens in Libya. (Egypt Bombs IS) PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE The has passed 12 resolutions to date regarding the current situation in Libya, which is everything after Gadhafi s death in July of More specifically, the sanctions and the arms embargo placed on Libya and certain Libyan individuals served to aid in the implementation of the measures proposed by Resolution 1970 (26 th February, 2011), which were to prohibit and prevent illicit arms trade and the circulation of illegal materials within Libya and with the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the Libyan army under Gadhafi. However, some of these sanctions have been lifted, either entirely or partially, in light of the development of a democratic government in Libya. However, sanctions on specific individuals who interfere with Libya s development remain in place. ( Resolution 2174) On March 27 th, 2015, Resolution 2214 was passed specifically concerning counter- terrorism efforts in Libya. In particular, it emphasized the need to use existing measures proposed and accepted by previous resolutions passed on counter- terrorism and pledged to provide the Libyan government with assistance with regards to capacity building and security. It also had a focus on Ansari al- Sharia, an Islamist militia group within Libya. Peace talks in Morocco have been facilitated between the rivaling governments and will most likely continue for the foreseeable future. The UN praises both sides for their progress, but both governments remain at odds with each other with Tripoli under new GNC control. (United Nations Hails Progress)

6 Support is provided to the internationally recognized GNC in the form of expertise by the UNDP and support in the form of provisions for elections, amongst other methods of support, are provided by the UNSMIL. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Cooperation has been heavily emphasized by the UN, however, for the new GNC, there does not seem to be any consequences for continued non- compliance, or any incentives for them to acquiesce Tripoli. Forms of international pressure, for example, could be of use. However, the use of sanctions should be avoided as the UN has placed sanctions on Libya in the recent past, and only some have been partially lifted. Any resolutions concerning this issue will have to take into account the progress of the current peace talks and not undermine any agreements that have already been made between the two governments. Regarding the situation with Egypt and IS, anti- terrorist measures imposed internationally would be a good place for delegates to start. Since Libya s government is developing, complying with their existing anti- terrorist policies is also vital as not to undermine Libya s development. Delegates should review Security Resolution 2214 which deals specifically with counter- terrorism in Libya and lists previous resolutions that have measures related to counter- terrorism. Since most countries do not negotiate with terrorists, this cannot be a solution. Delegates should also focus on ensuring the cooperation between Egypt s and Libya s governments. Incentives for cooperation in eradicating the IS in Libya should be given for both countries. For example, cooperation between both countries militaries in order to avoid the killing of civilians and to more efficiently resolve the issue. For any solution, peace and diplomacy must be emphasized, since militaristic solutions have the high possibility of further destabilizing Libya and neighboring countries. WORKS CITED Chothia, Farouk. "Why Is Libya Lawless?" BBC News. BBC, 27 Jan Web. Mar.- Apr < africa >. "Egypt Bombs IS in Libya after Beheadings Video - BBC News." BBC News. N.p., 16 Feb Web. 23 Apr < middle- east >. "Libya Country Profile - Overview." BBC News. BBC, 19 Jan Web. 22, 30 Mar < africa >. "Libya Crisis: Head of Islamist Tripoli Government Fired - BBC News." BBC News. N.p., 31 Mar Web. 1,3 Apr < middle- east >. "Libya." Human Rights Watch, Rep. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr < eastn- africa/libya>.

7 Libya: Mounting Evidence of War Crimes in the Wake of Egypt's Airstrikes. Rep. N.p., 23 Feb Web. 23 Apr < mounting- evidence- war- crimes- after- egypt- airstrikes/>. "Libya, Sanctions Committee, United Nations, 1970 Committee, Resolution 1970." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 30 Mar < "Libya's Political Parties." - Al Jazeera English. Al Jazeera, 3 July Web. 31 Mar < Def Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. 23 Apr "Military." Libya Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar < civil- war- 2.htm>. Pannell, Ian. "Fighting for the Spoils of Libya's Revolution." BBC News. BBC, 28 Jan Web. 31 Mar < africa >. Resolution Feb United Nations Resolution on arms embargo imposed on Libya/targeted sanctions and the situation in Libya was referred to the ICC. Resolution Mar Authorised military intervention in Libya, made the panel of experts, strengthened sanctions and arms embargo. Resolution Sep United Nations Resolution on Counter Terrorism in Libya. Resolution Aug United Nations Resolution targeted sanctions and strengthening the arms embargo. Resolution Mar Renewed UNSMIL and the Panel of Experts. Resolution Mar United Nations Resolution on Counter Terrorism in Libya.

8 "UN Documents for Libya: Resolutions." UN Documents for Libya. N.p., n.d. Web. 1,3 Apr < documents/search.php?includeblogs=10&limit=15&tag=%22security%20council%20resolutions%22+and+%22lib ya%22&ctype=libya&rtype=security%20council%20resolutions&cbtype=libya>. "UN IN LIBYA." Unsmil.unmissions.org. N.p., n.d. Web. Mar.- Apr < US>. "UNSMIL Mandate." Unsmil.unmissions.org. N.p., n.d. Web. Mar.- Apr < US>. "United Nations Hails Progress at Libya Talks in Morocco News DW.DE " DW.DE. N.p., n.d. Web. 22, 30 Mar < nations- hails- progress- at- libya- talks- in- morocco/a >. "World Report 2014: Libya." World Report 2014: Libya. Human Rights Watch, Rep. N.p, n.d. Web. 1,3 Apr < report/2014/country- chapters/libya?page=1>. APPENDICES Appendix I: for links to specific resolutions passed by the Appendix II: for more information about UNSMIL and other UN organisations stationed in Libya.