Libyan government calls on China to investigate the use of Emirates aircraft in favor of Haftar
Libyan government calls on China to investigate the use of Emirates aircraft in favor of HaftarThe internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya has called on China to open an investigaation into the sale of drones used by the United Arab Emirates to bomb civilians in the capital Tripoli.
In a statement, the GNA’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had delivered a letter to the charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Libya demanding an investigation into the drones that China sold to the UAE and the latter used in bombing Libyan civilians in Tripoli.
“The Chinese Chargé d’affaires underlined that his country, as a permanent member of the Security Council, is keen on following up the implementation by states of their obligations towards the resolutions of the Council and its keenness to strengthen the relationship with Libya.”
The Libyan Foreign Ministry said that it informed China of its interest in starting consultations to put countries before their responsibilities towards the UN Security Council resolutions, considering that any violation of the Council’s resolutions violates the principles of the UN Charter.
Last September, GNA filed a complaint against the UAE before the UN Security Council for “hostility and supporting attempts to overthrow the legitimate government.”
The Accord government accused the “Emirates Airline” of bombing “vital civilian targets” in the city of Sirte (450 km east of Tripoli);
A few days ago, a UN official announced a move by the United Nations to stop the violation of regional countries, led by the UAE, the ban on the supply of arms and military equipment to Libya.
For years, the UAE has been involved in supporting its ally, war criminal Khalifa Haftar and his militias, which are wreaking havoc in Libya to serve Abu Dhabi’s ambitions.
UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salameh said he hoped an international conference next month would produce a UN Security Council resolution requiring foreign powers, led by the United Arab Emirates, to halt an escalating proxy war and set up an urgent mechanism to enforce an arms embargo.
The conference, organized by Germany, will be the first major diplomatic effort to end the fighting that began when forces led by Khalifa Haftar launched an attack from their bases in eastern Libya on the capital Tripoli six months ago.
The conference will seek to mobilize key outside players to stop increasingly flagrant violations of the UN arms embargo and pressure their allies inside Libya to abide by a ceasefire and a new political process.
“Expressing hope, encouragement and oral support is not what I am looking for – I look forward to a clear expression of the will to end the war in Libya,” Salameh said in an interview.
“This must be clearly expressed in a UN Security Council resolution and through a follow-up mechanism to protect the implementation of this resolution,” he said.
No date has been set for the conference, whose organizers aim to have the five permanent members of the Security Council, as well as the UAE, Italy, Turkey and Egypt.
The UAE and Egypt have long supported Haftar, while Salama said the UN Panel of Experts, which monitors the arms embargo, is investigating dozens of violations and that foreign intervention, which has become “more blatant” than before, involves what could or could be the use of foreign mercenaries and operators. For drones provided by third parties.
The panel of experts is due to publish a report by the end of the year, but its detailed documentation of alleged violations in recent years – including those attributed to the UAE – has not led to official criticism of either side.
Salameh said the system of reporting violations needed to be faster and more “interactive”. “We need them to express themselves as soon as the truth is revealed and not to wait for a report at the end of the year.”
“We need the sanctions committee to be more active in punishing those who violate the arms embargo, and we need countries that produce or bring in those weapons to publicly commit to stopping any arms transfers to Libya.”
Haftar launched an aggression against the Libyan capital Tripoli, the seat of the internationally recognized government since early April, during a visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Tripoli.
The Security Council has since failed to agree on any statement or resolution on the campaign. US President Donald Trump called Haftar in the early days of the attack to acknowledge his role in Libya at the instigation of an Emirati.
Haftar forces has killed and wounded hundreds of civilians and displaced more than 120,000 people amid exposing a military contribution to the UAE on the ground.
