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UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame attends a news conference with prime minister of Libya's Government of National Accord Fayez Al Sarraj in Tripoli, Libya on August 5, 2017. Reuters / Hani Amara

The new UN envoy to Libya faces a huge challenge in bringing peace to Libya following his first visit to Tripoli on Friday.

Ghassan Salame, a Lebanese academic and former culture minister, is hoping to persuade Libyan factions to accept the Joint Declaration, a peace deal made in Paris on July 25between head of the Government of National Accord, Fayez Al Sarraj, and Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, military commander of the rival House of Representatives parliament.

The cornerstone of the declaration is a ceasefire to end Libyas three-year civil war, but this has failed to transpire, with combat continuing on a number of fronts.

After meeting with Mr Al Sarraj in Tripoli on Friday, Mr Salame told journalists: The time factor is very important here. Every passing day without a political agreement has negative security, economic and social consequences for Libyans.

Mr Salame is due to fly in the coming days to the House of Representatives base in Tobruk, hoping to find common ground between legislators there and the GNA presidency on forming a unity government, a key step in the Joint Declaration.

Tobruk legislators have so far refused to accept the GNA, saying it is not legitimate, and battlefield success has put the HOR in a strong position.

A series of military victories against pro-GNA militias have seen the field marshals Libyan National Army gain control of most of eastern and central Libya, giving the HOR authority over approximately two-thirds of the country. Those victories leave the House of Representatives and its leader, Field Marshall Haftar, in a strong bargaining position.

The GNAs position by contrast is weak. Since arriving in Tripoli in March 2016, it has failed to win popularity, and three of its original nine presidency members have quit. With no security force of its own, the GNA relies on militias for protection, but the Joint Declaration mandates that militias must disarm. So far, none have done so.

Publicly, the GNA insists a peace deal is possible.

We agreed that there is a need more than ever to reach an urgent solution to the crisis in Libya, so that we can end the suffering of Libyans, said Mr Al Sarraj following his meeting with Mr Salame.

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Read more:

The rise and rise again of Libya's Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar

New UN envoy to Libya vows 'respect' for sovereignty

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As he embarks on what is likely to be a round of shuttle diplomacy between the rival capitals in Tripoli and Tobruk, the last thing Mr Salame needs is a fresh cause of division. But that is exactly what he has got after the arrival last week of an Italian warship in Tripoli to support operations against migrant-smugglers.

The warship was invited by the GNA to support its coast guard in intercepting migrant-smuggling boats, but the HOR has declared the deployment a violation of national sovereignty. Field Marshall Haftar has instructed naval and air units to confront foreign warships operating without HOR permission in Libyan waters, without mentioning Italy by name.

Even the GNA is divided on the Italian deployment, with one presidency member, deputy prime minister Fathi Al Mejbari, calling on Friday for Rome to immediately stop the violation of Libyan sovereignty.

Italy insists its ships will assist Libyan units and take no direct role in operations against migrant-smugglers, but the ships arrival saw small protests in Tripoli with a number of Italian flags set on fire.

This led to the Italian embassy in Tripoli protesting against the reporting of the protests, tweeting on August 4: Stop spreading fake news [about] big protests in Tripoli. [Italy] committed to help [Libya] and wont listen to those who want chaos to continue.

Stop spreading #fakenews abt big protests in #Tripoli. committed to help & won't listen to those who want chaos 2 continue

One piece of good news for Mr Salame is that Libyas Constitutional Assembly, elected in 2014 to agree a new constitution, announced on July 31 that a draft of that constitution is finished. The draft calls for Libya to be governed by an elected president and two houses of parliament.

The problem is that this constitution cannot come into force until it gets a yes vote in a national referendum, and holding a referendum is likely to be impossible until all sides agree to a ceasefire.

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New UN envoy to Libya faces major challenge in bringing peace ... - The National

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The local council of the city of Derna have condemned the silence of official authorities in Libya to events in Derna. From the siege and starvation tactics, to the prevention of all necessities entering the city, which is forecasting a humanitarian and environmental disaster as all of the city's ports are shut down.The statement made by the council appealed to UN envoy Ghassan Salame and all the international organizations involved with Libya to intervene immediately and fulfill their responsibilities in lifting the siege.The council described what is happening in Derna as a war crime and genocide according to the statement.

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Hilal and Itihad qualified for the finals of the Libya Handball Championship after the first win over Shurta in Friday's game in Gharyan 18-17. Itihad managed to beat Al-Ahli 23-19 in the match held on Saturday in Gharyan without an audience due to riots between the fans of the two teams on Friday. The final between Hilal and Itihad will be held this evening in the in the city of Gharyan.

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The Libyan navy's spokesman, Brigadier Ayoub Qasem, stated on Saturday that 125 illegal immigrants were rescued off the coast of the Libyan capital Tripoli. The regular patrols of Tripoli's maritime base found a dilapidated boat with illegal immigrants 12 miles north of the capital city of Tripoli; they then rescued 125 migrants, including two women and seven children, all being of Sudanese nationality.

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The head of the office of the High Council for Reconciliation in the city of Derna, Khaled Makraz, warned of an impending humanitarian disaster in his city. Makraz requested that civilians should not be used as tools for political pressure or military gains between warring factions, holding the decision makers in Libya and the United Nations Mission in Libya, represented by its envoy Ghassan Salameh responsible for what could become a humanitarian disaster. Makraz also stated that the city of Derna is experiencing a severe shortage of food and water resources, and confirmed that the High Council for reconciliation is seeking to make direct contact between the two rivalling parties in an attempt to bring opposing views closer together.

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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Libya has documented the presence of more than 240,000 internally displaced persons in the country up until August. In its monthly bulletin on its operations in Libya, the UNHCR said that it received only 23 percent of the required funding for the United Nations Development Fund. The UNHCR has reported the return of some 250,000 internally displaced persons to their cities since the beginning of the year and documented the arrival of more than 95 thousand illegal immigrants to Italy through Libya in that same period.

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The oil services company Schlumberger has returned to resume their activities in Libya according to sources at Sirte Oil and Gas Production Company. Schlumberger are currently carrying out their first contract after a cessation that lasted for more than three years. Sources also confirmed that the improved security situation and the desire by Sirte Oil and Gas Production Company to implement important foundation work were the main contributors in the return of most service companies to their sites in different fields.

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The Mayor of Central Tripoli Municipality and the Chairman of the Crisis Committee held a lengthy meeting with the management of the Tripoli General Services Company to discuss garbage collection from the streets and also certain hurdles facing the company. Although the company does not fall under the authority of the municipality, it works under the Ministry of Local Governance directly, in its allocations and management. The information office of the Municipality Council said that some of the solutions within the organization's plan, if implemented will fully contribute to the end of the crisis, especially in the period of Eid Al-Adha which is due soon.

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A cargo car collided with a Libyan Airlines plane at Burj Al Arab Airport in Alexandria, causing damage to the body of the plane. Witnesses said that as the plane was preparing to take off, the luggage carrier driver collided with the plane after unloading his cargo in the body of the aircraft, causing material damage. Witnesses also stated that the Egyptian maintenance engineers told the pilot that he could fly without problems, but the latter refused to take off until any maintenance necessary to maintain the safety of passengers was fully carried out.

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News Roundup - Sun, Aug 6, 2017 | The Libya Observer - The Libya Observer

The migrants are the latest to risk their lives, trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe

Published 11:45 PM, August 06, 2017

Updated 11:45 PM, August 06, 2017

DANGEROUS JOURNEY. Migrants wait to be rescued in the Mediterranean Sea, 30 nautical miles from the Libyan coast, on August 6, 2017. Photo by Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP

TRIPOLI, Libya Libya's coastguard intercepted 137 migrants including 5 women and 3 children on Sunday, August 6, as they attempted to reach Europe, a migration official told Agence France-Presse.

Amine al-Boussefi, head of a government agency in Tripoli tackling clandestine migration, said "137 migrants were successfully rescued by the coastguard... then handed over to us."

The migrants, from several African countries, were aboard an inflatable boat intercepted Sunday morning around 40 kilometers (23 miles) north of Sayyad, a seaside village west of Tripoli, navy spokesman General Ayoub Qassem said.

The migrants were taken to a navy base in the capital where the Libyan authorities gave them food, water, and medical treatment, an Agence France-Presse photographer said.

They were then transferred by bus to the eastern Tripoli suburb of Tajoura and handed over to the anti-migration agency.

The Agence France-Presse photographer saw dozens of migrants gathered in a courtyard there, sitting on the ground under the blazing sun as they waited to be put in detention centers.

Six years since a revolution that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi, Libya has become a key departure point for migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Hailing mainly from sub-Saharan countries, most board boats operated by human traffickers in the country's west, heading for the Italian island of Lampedusa 300 kilometers (190 miles) away.

More than 111,000 migrants have reached Europe by sea so far this year, the vast majority of them arriving in Italy, according to the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration.

Over 2,300 have died attempting the crossing. (READ: Numbers tell staggering story of EU migrant crisis) Rappler.com

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Libyan coastguard intercepts 137 migrants - Rappler

3 August, 2017 | Alumni, Culture

Cultural exchange is the central component of the YES program. A YES students goal is not only to learn about American culture, but to serve

28 July, 2017 | Statements

The United States remains committed to working with Libya and our international partners to help resolve the political conflict and advance peace and long-term stability

19 July, 2017 | Statements

The United States is fully committed to working with all Libyans to help advance stabilization and resolve the conflict in Libya. To that end, the

18 July, 2017 | Local Programs, Scholarships and Exchanges

After their pre-departure orientation in Tunis, the group of young Libyans who were selected to participate in the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders

14 July, 2017 | Events

During Ramadan, the Deputy Chief of Mission, Candace Putnam, hosted anIftar dinner on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, with Libyanalumni of exchange

23 June, 2017 | Events, U.S. Foreign Assistance

The U.S. Embassy to Libya (Tunis) In the spirit of Ramadan, a time for reflection, tolerance, generosity and renewed friendship, the United States Embassy

9 June, 2017 | Events

On Tuesday May 23, the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Peter Bodde, and AFRICOM Commander General Thomas D. Waldhauser met with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj

9 June, 2017 | Statements

Tripoli: May 23, 2017 Today, my colleague AFRICOM Commander General Tom Waldhauser and I had a warm and productive meeting with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez

30 May, 2017 | Statements

In light of recent violence around Brak Al-Shatti airbase in Libyas south which again risks escalating into renewed conflict, Taking note of relevant UN Security

11 May, 2017 | Alumni

The U.S. Embassy in Libya maintains dynamic engagement with the network of U.S. government sponsored exchange program alumni from Libya. Last summer, the Embassy hosted

11 May, 2017 | Local Programs

In March 2017, U.S. Embassy Libya launched a workshop entitled, Preserving Historic Photographic Archives in Libya and Tunisia with representatives from the Libyan Department of

11 May, 2017 | Local Programs

In March 2017, U.S. Embassy Libya hosted a cultural heritage and civic engagement workshop in Tunis to help young people in Libya better understand cultural

12 April, 2017 | Statements

In light of recent violence in Libyas south, including near the Tamanhint airbase, which risks escalating into renewed conflict. Taking note of relevant UN Security

24 March, 2017 | Statements

In light of recent conflict in Libyas Oil Crescent and Tripoli, Taking note of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including UNSCRs 2213, 2259 and 2278,

16 March, 2017 | Statements

The Ambassadors of France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States reiterate their strong concern regarding violence in the oil crescent and call for

25 February, 2017 | Statements

The Ambassadors of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States reiterate our commitment to preserving the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and

27 January, 2017 | Messages for U.S. Citizens

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to Libya and recommends that U.S. citizens currently in Libya depart immediately. On July 26,

16 September, 2015 | Messages for U.S. Citizens

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to Libya and recommends that U.S. citizens currently in Libya depart immediately. On July 26,

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U.S. Embassy in Libya

Refugees and migrants stand on the deck of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms rescue vessel Golfo Azzurro after being rescued by the Italian Coast Guard at 24 miles (46 km) north of Sabratha, Lybia on February 18, 2017 | David Ramos/Getty Images

Centers holding thousands of migrants are cramped, barren and dirty, according to a report by EU officials.

By Esther King

8/5/17, 4:11 PM CET

Sanitary conditions in refugee detention centers in Libya are severely lacking, according to a report drafted by European Union officials and seen by German magazine Der Spiegel.

The conditions are in line withexpectations poor sanitary conditions, insufficientspace andhygiene tohold more than 1,000 refugees in detention,according to the report EU diplomats sent to Brussels following their visit to Tarek al-Sika detention center in Tripoli earlier this year.

The small area dedicated to distributing medication was a sad sight, it added.

According to the report, many refugees who EU diplomats spoke to said they had been held captive at the center for several months, some for more than a year. Many reported having lost essential possessions money, cell phones, identification papers by the time they reached Libya.

Libyan counterparts told EU diplomats refugees were often held in centers until they paid a ransom. Migrants are sometimes even sold back and forth between detention centers, accordingto the report, which dates back to April.

Refugee rights organizations and NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders have criticized conditions in Libyan refugee centers and slammed the EUs cooperation with Libyan authorities to stem the flow of migrants reaching its shores. German diplomats previouslylikened conditionsin detention centers to those in concentration camps.

According to new Italian interior ministry figures, about 11,100migrants made the dangerous crossing to Italy from Northern Africa many of whom travel through Libya in July compared to more than double that amount in the same month in 2016 (just over 23,500).

The reasons behind the summer drop-off are disputed. But according to Eugenio Ambrosi, the EU director at the International Organization for Migration, the impression is that the stock of those who want to leave Libya is running out. Only 20 percent of the migrants who reach Libya try to cross into Europe, he added.

The EU has pushed for greater efforts to facilitate voluntary returns from Libya, a figure that stands at over6,000so far this year compared to 2,700 in the whole of 2016. European institutions have also disbursed millions of euros in funding for African countries.

Originally posted here:
Refugees held in Libya face inhumane conditions: EU diplomats - POLITICO.eu