At least fifty-five migrants died on Tuesday when their boat sank off the coast of Libya, UN officials said; the first quarter of this year was the deadliest for migrants in the Central Mediterranean since that same period in 2017 (AP)
Turkey and Egypt Announce Cooperation on Libya
Despite differing approaches to Libya, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that Turkey and Egypt would cooperate to establish a roadmap to elections and reinforce a joint military (Reuters)
EU Defends its Libya Policies
The European Commission defended its history of helping migrants in Libya and said it takes the claims made by U.N.-backed investigators “very seriously,” but also pointed out the significance of its work in Libya, which is frequently coordinated with agencies like the IOM and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (AP)
UN Report: Crimes Against Humanity in Libya
UN-appointed independent human rights investigators said evidence demonstrates that Libyan authorities and armed militia groups committed “a wide array” of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya since 2016; according to the report, crimes against humanity were committed against Libyans and migrants in Libya, including women being forced into sexual slavery (UN News;Al Jazeera)
The investigators commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council also faulted the EU for supporting Libyan forces it claims contributed to these crimes against humanity, urging the EU to review its Libya policies (AP)
Libyan Coast Guard Fires at Humanitarian Rescue Ship
According to the SOS Mediterranee group, a humanitarian vessel trained and financed by the EU, the Libyan coast guard fired warning shots over the group’s vessel as they tried to rescue a rubber boat transporting migrants off the coast of Libya (AP)
IAEA: Most Missing Uranium Accounted For
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that most of the 2.5 tons of natural uranium ore concentrate (UOC) recently declared missing was found by the Libyan National Army, with only a small amount still unaccounted for (Reuters)
Natural Uranium Possibly Recovered in Southern Libya
Libyan National Army, a non-state armed group, claims to have found eighteen blue barrels containing natural uranium that went missing in southern Libya; the International Atomic Energy Agency reported 2.5 tons of natural uranium missing earlier in March and is actively working to verify the claims (CNN)
UN Watchdog: Natural Uranium Missing From Storage
Around 2.5 tons of natural uranium have disappeared from a Libyan storage site, UN monitors said; natural uranium can’t be used to make energy or bombs, but tech-savvy actors could refine it to weapons grade with enough time and resources (AP)
Council Approves Constitutional Changes
Libya’s High Council of State approved a constitutional amendment meant to serve as a foundation for elections; experts say the changes fall short of resolving the disagreements that have prevented a long-delayed national vote (Al Jazeera)
UN Libya Envoy Launches New Initiative
To break a year-long stalemate, the UN Libya Envoy has launched an initiative to enable elections by creating a high-level steering committee (Reuters)
Financiers Defrauded Libya Fund
London’s Southwark Crown Court sentenced a former JPMorgan investment manager and an ex-Julius Baer banker to eleven years for defrauding the Libyan sovereign wealth fund, Libya Africa Investment Portfolio, out of millions of dollars (Reuters)
AU to Organize Reconciliation Conference
The African Union (AU) commission chief said that the AU is organizing a national reconciliation conference for Libya; the meeting will be chaired by the Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso (AFP)
Seventy-Three Migrants Missing After Shipwreck
The UN’s International Organization for Migration said seventy-three migrants are missing and have been presumed dead after their boat sank off the Libyan coast; only seven people survived (BBC)
U.S. Attempts To Expel Wagner Group From Region
The Biden administration has increased efforts to convince Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to pressure military leaders in Sudan and Libya to end their ties with the Wagner Group; Khalifa Hifter, an east Libya-based military commander known to associate with the group, recently met with CIA Director William Burns (AP)
Italian Energy Company Signs Gas Deal With Libya
Italian energy company Eni and Libya’s National Oil Corporation signed an $8 billion gas production deal; the deal was signed during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Tripoli (Reuters)
Migrant Boat Capsizes Near Libya
A boat carrying African migrants capsized and killed eight people off the coast of Libya; the Red Crescent rescued roughly one hundred people (Reuters)
CIA Director Visits Libya
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency William Burns met with Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah in Tripoli (Reuters)
European Officials Accused of Conspiracy with Libyan Coastguard to Prevent Migration
A German NGO, the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), submitted a criminal complaint to The Hague accusing several European politicians of crimes against humanity for working with the Libyan coastguard to systematically push back refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea (The Guardian)
This came after Greece rescued over four hundred migrants traveling aboard a shipping vessel from Libya (Reuters)
Greek Foreign Minister Calls Off Visit to Tripoli
Greek foreign minister Nikos Dendias refused to disembark from his plane in Tripoli and instead flew to Benghazi; the move was viewed as a rebuff of Libya’s western administration (Al Jazeera)
UN Envoy Warns of Partition in Libya Without Elections
The new UN special envoy for Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, told the UN Security Council that the country risks further instability and a potential partition if elections continue to be delayed (AP)
ICC Prosecutor Seeks New Arrest Warrants in Investigation of Libyan War Crimes
Karim Khan, a prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), announced his submission of new applications for arrest warrants as part of an investigation of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya (Reuters)
Libyan Commander Deposed in Virginia Lawsuit
The former Commander of the Libyan National Army has been named as a defendant in three lawsuits in Virginia over accusations of his orchestration of indiscriminate killing and torture during the Libyan Civil War (AP)
UN Security Council Extends Mission in Libya
The UN Security Council voted unanimously on a resolution to extend the UN political mission in Libya by one year, including language urging the rival factions to agree on a plan to hold elections (AP)
UN Envoy: ‘No Clear End in Sight’ to Libya Deadlock
Newly appointed UN Libya envoy Abdoulaye Bathily told the UN Security Council there is “no clear end in sight” to the political deadlock that has postponed Libyan elections originally set for December 2021, though he is holding consultations to resolve the matter (UN News)
UN Security Council to Hold Briefing on Libya
The UNSC is scheduled to meet next week to discuss recent developments in Libya and vote on a resolution to renew the Libyan mission’s mandate; this comes amid attempts by the United Nations to bring the rival political factions to an agreement for elections (Libya Observer)