(United Nations) Russia and the United States were on Thursday in a deadlock situation on the extension of the UN mission in Libya, Moscow demanding the appointment of a new UN envoy as soon as possible, Washington wanting to preserve its national Stephanie Williams, a key player in the country, according to diplomats.
Posted at 1:26 p.m.
Initially scheduled for Thursday morning, the vote on a resolution proposed by the United Kingdom, technically extending the UN UNSMIL mission until September 15, has been postponed sine die at the last minute. Russia intended to veto it before putting its own text to the vote, which could also be vetoed by the United States.
Dismiss the American
Obtained by AFP, the Russian project asks “that the secretary general appoint an emissary without further delay”. It also provides for an extension of the mission only until April 30, the time, according to Moscow, to see the political situation in Libya clear up.
Since the abrupt resignation in November of the Slovak Jan Kubis, the post of UN envoy has been de facto occupied by the American Stephanie Williams, an Arabic-speaking diplomat recalled after almost a year of absence in this dossier by the Secretary General of the United Nations with the title of “Special Adviser”.
In this way, Antonio Guterres dispensed with the approval of the Security Council on the choice of the person, delicate for years because of the struggles for influence that the great powers are waging in the Libyan file.
In 2020, Stephanie Williams, then number two in the UNSMIL mission, provided an interim role allowing significant progress in the file, in particular a ceasefire between the Libyan belligerents after several years of clashes.
According to diplomats, the resignation of Jan Kubis was badly received by Russia which has since sought to regain the advantage.
bad “signal”
On Monday, during an open meeting of the Security Council on Libya, Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy stressed the importance of having a new personality as mediator in Libya.
“It is important that the Secretary General presents a candidate for this position as soon as possible,” he said.
The UN envoy must have sufficient experience within the framework of a mandate decided by the Security Council. Unfortunately, we don’t have that person heading the mission right now.
Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN.
The mandate of the UNSMIL political mission expires on Monday evening, which still leaves some time to find a compromise between Russia and the United States. For a diplomat however, the divisions between members of the UN are not “a good signal” with regard to the Libyans and will “not help Stephanie Williams” in her current role.
Asked during his daily press briefing about the Russian request for a new envoy, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN, reaffirmed the full support of the head of the United Nations for his special adviser.
“The General Secretary is extremely grateful for all the work that Stephanie Williams has done in her previous capacity. […] and what she continues to do on the Libyan file as a special adviser,” he said. “She did a very, very good job in the face of a very difficult situation,” the spokesperson insisted.