Libya, 2014

At the outset,

I would like to express my sincerest congratulations to

Mr. Sam Kutesa on his assumption of the presidency of the

General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I am confident

that he will steer the work of this session towards the best

results. Allow me also to commend the efforts of Mr. Ban

Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for

achieving the objectives of the Organization and for

promoting international peace and security. I would like

to thank him in particular for standing with the Libyan

people during the revolution against the dictatorship and

for providing support for our nascent democracy after the

revolution.

I am honoured to stand before members today as

the representative of the Libyan people to describe their

ambitions, pains and hopes, to participate in the quest

for the best ways to maintain peace and security on our

planet and to achieve the common aspirations of our

peoples. There is no doubt that those who witnessed the

revolution of the Libyan people against dictatorship in

2011 were impressed by the courage, unity, awareness

and creative capabilities of our people. But today there

is no doubt that many are astonished by events in

Libya — the fighting, the bloodshed among brothers,

the unjustified destruction of infrastructure and public

and private property. Many may wonder, where are

the people they saw three years ago? Where are the

unarmed revolutionaries who flocked into the streets,

facing bullets with their bare chests to defend their

rights? Where are the intellectuals who flooded the

media with realistic assessments and convinced the

world of the justice of their people’s cause?

I would say, yes, that was the true Libyan people.

They did not think in terms of material gains or leadership

positions. Their only aspiration was to put an end to

dictatorship and pave the road for democracy to ensure

a prosperous future for all Libyans. Unfortunately,

Libya today is in a completely different situation. Most

of the activists have left the political arena, either

because of the forcibly imposed political isolation law

or because of the campaigns of intimidation, arrests and

assassinations perpetrated by various armed groups

against anyone who opposes their views or calls for

their disarmament and demobilization.

Some armed groups are no longer subject to the

Government’s direction as they try to impose their

will on the Libyan people by force, violate human

rights and blackmail the Government to gain access

to funds, while they refuse to arm the police and to

reinstitute, reconstruct and arm the army. The existing

conflict in and around Tripoli among armed groups

that opposed the legitimate authorities has forced the

Government to evacuate all of its premises, which

were seized by a coalition of armed groups. Those

included a terrorist group that professes Al-Qaida

ideology and is known for its stand against the building

of State institutions — a group placed on the list of

terrorist organizations by the United States and the

European Union. Moreover, the residences of many

ministers and citizens were looted and burned down.

That group is still waging war on the region west of

the city of Tripoli, inhabited by the Warshafana tribe.

The indiscriminate shelling with heavy weaponry led

to the exodus of most of its population, which then led

the House of Representatives to declare it a disaster

area. That could not have happened if the international

community had taken the situation in Libya seriously,

assisted the Government in establishing a strong army,

exerted pressure to ensure the disarmament of armed

groups and supported the arming of the police.

The armed groups that captured the capital have

clearly declared their opposition to the legitimate

institutions of the State and their quest to overthrow

the elected House of Representatives and the elected

Government, in an apparent effort to derail the process

of democratic transition and topple the legitimate

authorities by forming a parallel Government.

Furthermore, that has not sufficed for the group that

controls Tripoli. It has also persecuted political activists,

human rights defenders and journalists, shut down

media channels and forcibly prevented opponents from

demonstrating in the city of Tripoli and other cities. It

has recruited media personnel and some radical clerics

to incite the killing of those with different opinions and

those who support the elected House of Representatives

and the Government.

The group has allied itself with Ansar Al-Sharia,

which professes the ideology of Al-Qaida. It has

practised terrorism in some Libyan cities, especially

Benghazi and Derna. It has provided a safe haven and

training camps for terrorists from all over the world,

including Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Mali, with

unrivalled financial and media support from outside the

country, in order to undermine the legitimate Libyan

authorities and enable it to implement its conspiracy.

I wish the Assembly to know that turning a blind eye

to terrorism in Libya is no longer acceptable. Our people

can no longer tolerate assassinations, humiliation,

intimidation, suppression of freedoms or human rights

violations based on an individual’s background and

belief. The international community can either stand

with the elected legitimate authorities and implement

Security Council resolution 2174 (2014) by imposing

sanctions on those who impede the political process,

undermine security and seize State institutions, or

affirm loudly and clearly that the Libyans have to take

on terrorism single-handedly. Surely, the international

community must take action to withstand the effects

of the expansion of terrorism in North Africa and the

Sahel region.

We are in need of substantial assistance from

Libya’s friends — help in rebuilding the army and

providing it with all it needs to stop the fighting among

brothers and battle terrorism and extremism, which

now form a broad front stretching from Iraq to Algeria.

That front cannot be eliminated without an alliance

of the States concerned to ensure the elimination

of terrorism and guarantee the dissemination of the

principles of tolerance and democracy. The failure to

provide arms and training to the Libyan army in its war

against terrorism serves the interests of extremism,

adds to instability in Libya, disrupts calm in the region

and threatens global peace.

We welcome all efforts and goodwill by friendly

countries, the United Nations, the League of Arab States

and the African Union to help the legitimate Libyan

authorities regain control, either by taking a bold stand

with the House of Representatives, the Government and

the constitution-drafting body and by persuading armed

groups to give up their arms, withdraw from State

institutions and obey the Government’s directions, or

by exerting pressure on the political movements and

armed groups so that they renounce violence and agree

to a dialogue on the priorities and future of Libya.

Every illegitimate contact, unauthorized by the

Government, of any foreign country with individuals,

groups and organizations that do not recognize the

Government’s authority or that of the elected House

of Representatives and that use violence as a means

to impose their views on the Libyan people will be

considered by the Government an unfriendly act against

the unity and stability of Libya. Hence, all necessary

measures will be taken to confront it.

The Libyan people, under the leadership of the

legitimate authority, will not submit to blackmail and

intimidation and will resist any attempt to impose

a totalitarian dictatorship, whatever its slogan. We

wish that the Government did not need the assistance

of brotherly and friendly countries to extend State

authority over its territory and eliminate the terrorism

and criminality that threaten Libya’s security and unity,

causing the displacement of hundreds of thousands from

their homes in various parts of Libya and destroying

the economy.

The House of Representatives and the Government

are determined to pursue the path of dialogue and

tolerance within the framework of legitimacy, solve

all the problems and differences between Libyans,

agree on priorities, respect the democratic process and

re-establish the rule of law and the holding of elections.

They are also determined to demobilize all armed

groups and to stop their funding by the end of the

current year. We hope that the international community

will help us to carry out the following measures.

First, we must ensure the establishment by the

State of defence and security organs and make the

Government the sole, legitimate authority capable

of using force in disarming the armed groups and

exercising its authority over all Libya’s territory.

Secondly, we must ensure Government control

over the capital, Tripoli, and the withdrawal of armed

groups from State institutions so that officials can work

without being threatened and provide services to the

citizens.

Thirdly, we must realize that the establishment of

illegal institutions set up in parallel with the existing

bodies is impeding the political process and is subject

to sanctions under Security Council resolution 2174

(2014).

Fourthly, we must establish genuine, active

cooperation in combating terrorism through a strategic

alliance between Libya and its neighbouring countries

north and south of the Mediterranean.

Lastly, we must strengthen the culture of dialogue,

without exclusion or marginalization, and, with the help

of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, the

neighbouring countries, the League of Arab States and

the African Union, initiate a comprehensive dialogue

for all Libyan people.

As the General Assembly begins its deliberations

at its sixty-ninth session, whose main theme is the post-

2015 development agenda, I would like to point out

that when the Millennium Development Goals were

set, Libya started to review its economic policies and

restructure its economy to achieve them. However,

the deteriorating security situation has disrupted the

economy. I would like to note the close interlinkages

among security, stability and development. Without

security, there will be no development, and vice versa.

Therefore, restoring security and stability in Libya is

key to advancing development, bringing the disrupted

economy back on track, achieving the remaining

Millennium Development Goals and preparing to

achieve the post-2015 development goals, once they are

adopted.

Libya looks forward to the support of the United

Nations and friendly countries in restoring security

and the capacity-building of military and security

institutions in order to ensure the launch of programmes

for reconstruction and development. We also look

forward to the assistance of all countries in tracing looted

funds abroad and repatriating them to enable Libya to

increase funding for development and infrastructure

programmes. That will help eliminate unemployment

and absorb a large numbers of foreign workers, estimated

at several millions, from neighbouring countries. Both

Libya and the neighbouring countries would benefit,

and illegal immigration to Europe of people in search

of work and decent living conditions would be reduced.

Despite the circumstances in Libya, we cannot

forget the tragedy of the Palestinian people and their

suffering. They have taken refuge in various countries

around the world because of the Israeli occupation. We

reaffirm our condemnation of the Israeli occupation

and its practices in the Palestinian and Arab occupied

territories. We call for the Security Council to

provide protection for the Palestinian people, set a

timetable to end the Israeli occupation and establish

an independent and sovereign Palestinian State on all

the Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its

capital. The Palestinian State should be a full member

of all international organizations. Palestinian refugees

should be entitled to return to their lands, from which

they were expelled.

The continued blockade and repeated Israeli

aggression against the Gaza Strip and the destruction

of infrastructure have brought shame on civilized

human beings. The international community should be

committed to the reconstruction of Gaza, preventing

the recurrence of destruction and killing by the Israeli

army, ensuring the prosecution of all those responsible

for war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip and

supporting the efforts of the Government of national

reconciliation, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud

Abbas.