Russia, threatening to use its right of veto, caused a blockage in the Security Council on the one-year renewal of the UN political mission in Libya, diplomatic sources learned on Tuesday (September 15th). .

The language provided for in the draft resolution drafted by the United Kingdom, relating to the withdrawal from Libya of foreign troops and mercenaries as well as the role of the UN envoy, does not suit Moscow, he said. we specified from the same sources.

>> Russian mercenaries and Syrian soldiers support Marshal Haftar, UN says

The mandate of the UN mission expires Wednesday evening and the Security Council has planned to vote in the morning a simple "technical extension" until the end of the month in order "to solve the problems" by then, specified a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity.

When questioned, the Russian diplomatic mission to the UN declined to comment, explaining that negotiations were still ongoing.

During the last Security Council debate on Libya, Russia insisted that any withdrawal of foreign troops be carried out in a balanced manner so as not to compromise the balance of forces in Libya.

Russia has long provided military support to Marshal Khalifa Haftar, a strongman from eastern Libya, while Turkey has deployed troops in the country in support of the government established in Tripoli.

In a recent report, the UN recommended putting an end to the duo sharing since early 2021 the direction of its mission, imposed in 2020 by the United States against the advice of the 14 other members of the Security Council.

This directorate includes an emissary in Geneva (the Slovak Jan Kubis) and a coordinator based in the Libyan capital (the Zimbabwean Raisedon Zenenga).

>> UN urges "foreign forces and mercenaries" to leave Libya

The UN recommends having only one emissary established in Tripoli, as was the case in the past.

Libya is trying to extricate itself from a decade of violence since the fall of Muammar Gadhafi's regime in 2011. The fighting ceased in the summer of 2020 and a ceasefire was signed, but divisions quickly resumed surface, making the elections scheduled for December 24 more and more hypothetical.

With AFP

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