The UN Deputy Special Representative and the Deputy Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, Maria do Valle Ribeiro, has pledged on Monday to support southern Libya and to boost the UN presence in the region.
The UN official made the remarks during a meeting with officials in Libya, according to the UN Support Mission in Libya.
“This is the third visit of the UN to the south in a month. We are present in the south through our national staff and as the UN Special Envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, promised in January, we are going to boost our presence and support to the south,” Valle Ribeiro said.
The eastern-based Libyan National Army, led by Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign against crime and terrorism in southern Libya since mid-January. It is an ally of the eastern-based government.
In the same context, one of Libya’s most important oil fields, Al-Sharara site, is set to reopen nearly 3 months after it was taken over by a militant group, according to AFP. The siege of the militant group caused the company responsible for the fields to lose $1.8bn.
Egypt has had good relations with Haftar since the beginning of the presidency of Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The Egyptian air force has launched several air raids inside the Libyan territories, saying that it has coordinated with Haftar to attack “terrorist groups”.
Violence has outraged in Libya since 2011, when a popular uprising ended with the ousting and death of former President Muammar Gaddafi. Since the ousting of Gaddafi, the country has rival governments and parliaments in the west and east.
