India raises concerns over resurgence of terrorist activities in Libya at USNC meet

India at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday voiced deep concern over the re-emergence of terrorist groups, and activities in Libya, stressing that such affiliated entities must be tackled to avoid the expansion of urban warfare. Speaking at the UNSC briefing on Libya, India's Chargé d'affaires R. Ravindra highlighted that the resurgence of such outfits and terrorist organisations "must not be allowed" to remain among the civilian population "unchallenged" in Libya. He also called for peaceful resolution of the conflicts in the war-torn land.

"We remain concerned at the resurgence of terrorist activity in Libya, and we reiterate that terrorist groups and affiliated entities must not be allowed to operate unchallenged in Libya," New Delhi's Permanent Representative to the UN said in New York while speaking on the UNSC briefing on Libya.

The Chargé d'affaires, however, hailed the progress made by the Presidents of the House of Representatives and High Council of State, who met in Geneva from June 28 to 29. He went on highlight that the authorities must find a concrete resolution to the political issues in the interest of the Libyan people. "It is imperative that all outstanding political issues are resolved peacefully by the parties concerned, keeping in mind the larger interest of Libyan people," Ravindra said.

The Permanent Representative further emphasised the need for holding systematic, free, and fair Presidential and Parliamentary polls "at the earliest." He further said that India hoped all parties worked together to maintain peace and stability in Libya. "An immediate priority for Libya is to hold presidential and parliamentary polls at the earliest in a free fair, inclusive, and credible manner." He concluded, that India looked forward to an early consensus between Libyan parties on the constitutional basis for carrying out the elections.

The Libyan Conflict

For the unversed, Libya has been mired in a whirlwind of civil unrest since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. The first Libyan war broke out in 2011 between forces of Gaddafi and the rebel groups that were aiming to topple his government, paving way for the Libyan Revolution. Ever since, the country has remained divided, leading the war-ravaged nation toward deepened humanitarian crisis. Further, the political-military conflict escalated after the rebels refused to accept the government appointed by the House of Representatives in Tripoli. The country failed to conduct its national elections in December 2021 over disagreements between opposition parties.

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