Libya facing challenging transition, but authorities striving to succeed
Libya is going through a difficult transition, having inherited weak state institutions and an absence of political parties, the top United Nations envoy in the country told the Security Council today, adding that the interim Government is committed to addressing the challenges.
“The former regime may have been toppled, but the harsh reality is that the Libyan people continue to have to live with its deep-rooted legacy; weak, at times absent, state institutions, coupled with the long absence of political parties and civil society organizations, which render the country’s transition more difficult,” said Ian Martin, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
“This is further complicated by what was a systematic distortion of the country’s socio-political fabric,” he said.
He reiterated that security remains a major concern, noting that events over the past month highlight the risks associated with both the continued abundance of weapons on the streets, and the diverse armed “brigades” in the country with unclear lines of command and control.
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