A surge of high-profile diplomatic visits to Libya’s new unity government have begun, with foreign powers keen to signal support for the fledgling administration.
The Government of National Unity, installed earlier this month, is the country’s first united government since civil war broke out in 2014.
While the ceasefire agreement continues to hold, there are reports of ongoing fortifications
States are underlining their support in the most visible way possible.
A trio of EU foreign ministers arrived in Tripoli this week, while the head of Libya’s new presidential council, Mohamed Al Menfi, travelled to Cairo and Ankara for talks on pushing the peace process forward.
In Tripoli, French, German and Italian foreign ministers on Friday met Najla Al Mangoush, Libya’s first female foreign minister.
Germany hosted the peace conference in Berlin last year that laid the foundations for the unity government. Italy is offering training for coastguard units.
France will reopen its embassy in Tripoli on Monday. As did most countries, Paris evacuated its embassy there when the civil war broke out six years ago.
Ms Al Mangoush said her priority was the removal of foreign forces from Libya in light of the UN Security Council report this month that stated about 20,000 foreign troops were in the country.
“We demand that all mercenaries leave the Libyan lands immediately,” Ms Al Mangoush said after the meeting.
Her call was backed by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
“This [foreign forces withdrawal] is indispensable so that Libya can regain its security,” he said.
“By fulfilling these conditions, Libya can finally turn the page after so many years of a crisis that has divided the country.”
The EU also lifted sanctions on Friday on Khalifa Ghwell, prime minister of a former rival Libyan government -- the General National Congress -- who had been accused by European officials of blocking the peace process.
The move follows the removal from the sanctions list of Parliament speaker Agila Saleh last October, again after Mr Saleh confirmed support for the peace process.
Meanwhile, the head of the new presidential council, Mohamed Al Menfi, has begun a whistle-stop tour of key powers, and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged their co-operation.
Mr El Sisi said his talks with his western neighbour were extensive, covering “political, economic and development fields.”
The Ankara and Cairo visits are a reminder that Libya needs more than a ceasefire: It also needs substantial foreign help to rebuild.
Six years of war have pushed the economy close to collapse. Protests erupted across the country in the past few months prompted by shortages of power, water, gasoline and even banknotes.
There are no reliable estimates for the number killed in the war, while the UN says 1.3 million of Libya’s 6.6 million population need humanitarian aid.
Parts of Tripoli and the centre of Benghazi, Libya’s second city, have been reduced to ruins by fighting and need major renovation.
Welcoming the spate of diplomatic support, the UN’s Libya envoy Jan Kubis told the UN Security Council the new government represents a “historic milestone”.
Mr Kubis also urged compliance with the ceasefire, which has mostly held since being signed in October. He said rival armies continue to reinforce positions on the front line near the coastal town of Sirte.
“While the ceasefire agreement continues to hold, there are reports of ongoing fortifications,” he said.
Mr Kubis said on Friday that the GNU needed to move swiftly to fix basic services.
“Over four million people, including 1.5 million children, may face being denied clean water and sanitation if immediate solutions are not found.”
Ceasefire holds for now
Translating the current ceasefire into a lasting peace is the toughest nut for the new government to crack.
Along the Sirte front line, the Libyan National Army of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar faces off against units of the former Tripoli administration, the Government of National Accord.
These armies, along with their allied foreign forces, are reluctant to step down unless they see the other side doing the same.
But small steps are being made. Military barriers are set to be removed along the coastal highway, Libya’s key east-west road.
Flights between Tripoli and Benghazi have resumed. Meanwhile, in Geneva, the UN-chaired Joint Military Commission, made up of officials from both sides, is negotiating phased troop withdrawals, and the UN is considering deploying ceasefire monitors.
But tension remains. A prominent former LNA commander, Mahmoud Al Werfalli, was killed in Benghazi last week. The International Criminal Court had accused him of war crimes.
The circumstances of his killing, by unidentified gunmen, are still being investigated, but illustrate the challenge of ending the instability resulting from six years of war.
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Always check the weather forecast before setting off
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Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
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Record breaker
- The most total field goals made in NBA history, as well as the most consecutive games scoring 10 or more points
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- The only player to play alongside his son; Bronny James was chosen by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft
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The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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FIGHT NIGHT
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Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
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The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
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VEZEETA PROFILE
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Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
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The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
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Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
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Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The specs
A4 35 TFSI
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Transmission: seven-speed S-tronic automatic
Power: 150bhp
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Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
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PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
