TRIPOLI, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Newly-appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, on Thursday pledged to lead "UN mediation efforts towards a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned solution."
"In line with Security Council resolution 2755 (2024) I will lead UN mediation efforts, building on the work that my predecessors and colleagues in UNSMIL have undertaken, continuing to forge a path towards a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned solution," Tetteh said in a statement upon her arrival to Libya.
Stressing the importance of actively engaging with all Libyans within civil society, Tetteh vowed to work with regional and international actors to obtain their support in preserving the country's national unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.
"Under my leadership, UNSMIL will continue to work tirelessly to support and enable Libyan institutions to hold inclusive national elections and forge a collective national vision to address Libya's long-standing challenges," the statement said.
Tetteh, a seasoned diplomat who previously led UN engagements with the African Union, assumed her role last month as Libya's political fissures deepen. The country has been in a political deadlock since the collapse of its 2020 ceasefire, with eastern forces refusing to recognize the Tripoli-based government and both sides accused of obstructing elections.
Ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and unrest. ■
