UN Secretary General urges for implementing arms embargo in Libya without violations

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Monday all countries must implement a UN arms embargo against Libya as illegal weapons transfers by land, sea and air continue to fuel the current fighting in the country’s capital Tripoli. 

Guterres made the appeal in a report circulated on Monday before the UN Security Council’s unanimous approval of a resolution authorising the inspection of vessels on the high seas headed to or from Libya for another year to enforce the arms embargo.

The European Union’s Operation Sophia has been the only regional naval operation carrying out inspections.

UN experts monitoring the arms embargo, individual countries, and regional organizations “have all reported on illicit transfers of arms and related material into and out of Libya,” Guterres said in his report.

Guterres also indicated that implementing all measures related to the arms embargo is of immediate importance in de-escalating the current situation and is of critical importance to the protection of civilians and the restoration of security and stability in Libya and the region.