UN Envoy Urges Security Council to Unify Libyan Institutions

UN Special Representative Hanna Tetteh urged the UN Security Council on August 18, 2026, to prioritize the advancement of Libya's political process to resolve systemic governance failures. Tetteh warned that institutional fragmentation has resulted in critical service collapses, including widespread electricity and water outages during a prolonged heatwave and the suspected large-scale diversion of subsidized fuel.

The UN roadmap for stability focuses on three primary pillars: implementing electoral reforms for presidential and legislative elections, establishing a structured dialogue, and reunifying executive institutions under a single government. This push for stability comes as the Central Bank of Libya faces mounting pressure, with its governor requesting to be relieved of his position on August 9.

Security conditions remain volatile across the country. Tetteh reported drone attacks on an oil refinery in Zawiya, which led the National Oil Corporation to declare a state of emergency, and the assassination of Major General Fawzi Mansouri via car bombing in Benghazi. Heavy clashes also occurred in Sorman among armed actors involved in smuggling and trafficking.

Despite these crises, Tetteh highlighted a confidence-building measure from July 12, when military chiefs from eastern and western Libya met in Sirte and agreed to establish a joint border force.