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German Navy (archive)
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The UN Security Council has extended the United Nations mission in civil war-torn Libya (UNSMIL).
The most powerful UN body voted unanimously on Friday to continue UNSMIL until the end of July this year.
Behind the scenes there is a dispute about the structure of the mission and the position of the facilitator.
In fact, the US diplomat Stephanie Williams is currently filling the position as special adviser – but Russia is said to want to replace her.
The previous UN mediator Jan Kubis surprisingly announced his resignation at the end of last year.
The UN mission is intended to bring stability to the country, which was plunged into chaos more than ten years ago after the death of former ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi.
A process initiated by Germany in recent years had raised hopes for a political solution in the power struggle between two competing governments in Libya.
Recently, however, the situation had become tense again.
Training of the Libyan Coast Guard is no longer a task of the Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr can also take part in the EU mission off the Libyan coast for another year.
On Friday, the Bundestag gave the mission in the Mediterranean a new mandate until the end of April 2023. 534 MPs voted in favor of the government's proposal, and 103 voted against.
The Irini mission in the Mediterranean was launched in 2020 with the aim of preventing arms deliveries to Libya.
In addition, the illegal export of crude oil or oil products from Libya should be prevented.
The controversial participation in the training of the Libyan coast guard has now been removed from the list of tasks of the Bundeswehr.
The Bundeswehr should continue to take on tasks such as maritime surveillance and reconnaissance and, as before, be able to send up to 300 soldiers.
According to the Bundeswehr, only around 30 members of the Bundeswehr are currently involved in the operation.
The Federal Government justified the continuation of the mission with the fact that the Bundeswehr should “actively contribute to a stabilizing effect on Libya and to the peace process in the country led by the United Nations”, as stated in the draft that has now been accepted.
dop/dpa
