UN concerned over Libya

Oil and weapon smuggling a major concern.

Libya needs international maritime force to help stop illicit oil, weapons – UN experts

Libyan authorities are unable to halt the illicit trade in oil or the flow of weapons in and out of the country, and they need an international maritime force to help, United Nations sanctions monitors said in a new report.

The confidential report by the UN Security Council’s Panel of Experts on Libya, first seen by Reuters on Thursday, will likely increase pressure on major world powers to consider intervention to stop the North African state from spinning further out of control.

“The capacity of Libya to physically prevent (arms) transfers is almost non-existent and there is no authorization to enforce the arms embargo on the high seas or in the air as there were during the 2011 revolution,” the panel wrote in the report.

The 15-nation Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Libya in 2011 to stop delivery of weapons to the government of former leader Muammar Gaddafi during his crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations. Under the embargo, the government can import munitions with approval of a council committee.

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Source: timesofmalta.com