Hammad suspends all cooperation with UNSMIL over Qatari funding deal

The prime minister appointed by Libya’s House of Representatives, Osama Hammad, has announced the suspension of all forms of cooperation and coordination with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), accusing it of overstepping its mandate after signing a funding agreement with Qatar to support a “structured political dialogue”.

In a statement issued late on Monday, Hammad condemned what he described as a “dangerous and unprecedented act”, saying the agreement represented a serious breach of Libya’s sovereignty and an unacceptable departure from the international norms that require UN missions to remain impartial and respectful of host-state authorities.

Accusations of overreach

Hammad said the mission’s decision to seek external funding for political activities inside Libya, without prior consultation with any Libyan authority, amounted to a “flagrant violation of diplomatic practice” and raised “serious doubts” about the mission’s intentions.

He warned that the move indicates an attempt to “revive externally imposed political tracks” that undermine Libyan-owned initiatives, despite the mission’s repeated public commitment to a Libyan-led political process.

Hammad also called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to take “legal and moral responsibility” for what he described as unacceptable actions by the mission that contradict Libya’s national interests.

Suspension of cooperation

On this basis, Hammad declared the suspension of all dealings with UNSMIL until it fully retracts the agreement and issues a formal apology. He demanded a “detailed explanation” of the motives behind the funding arrangement and the cancellation of any political or financial understandings made “behind the back of the Libyan state”.

He held the mission responsible for “undermining trust, destabilising the political process, and wasting opportunities for a genuinely national path”, stressing that no political initiative, roadmap or dialogue process would be considered legitimate unless it is “purely domestically driven and entirely free from external financing or undue influence”.

UN and Qatari agreement welcomed by UNSMIL

Earlier on Monday, the UN Special Representative for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, welcomed the signing of a funding agreement between the Qatari government and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in support of the “Political Dialogue and Civic Engagement Support Project”, jointly implemented by Doha and UNDP.

UNSMIL said the Qatari funding would help advance the implementation of the roadmap Tetteh presented to the UN Security Council on 21 August, according to a statement published on the mission’s official Facebook page.