The United Nations Support Mission in Libya announced today that the newly appointed head of the mission, Jan Kobish, met with Faiz Al-Sarraj, the head of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord, in Tripoli, amidst reports of Al-Sarraj's alleged plans to step down.
According to Sputnik news agency, the UN Secretary-General's special envoy to Libya and head of the UN Support Mission, Jan Kobish, met with the head of the Presidential Council, Mr. Faiz Al-Sarraj, in Tripoli, where Al-Sarraj congratulated him on his appointment and expressed support for his new mission. Kobish affirmed his full support for a smooth transfer of power, congratulating Al-Sarraj on the progress made so far in the trilateral dialogue, including the ceasefire agreement, the successful outcome of the Libyan political dialogue forum, and the recent agreement on a unified budget. The mission tweeted that both sides agreed on the necessity of full compliance with the agreed-upon election date, December 24, 2021.
Media reports claimed that Al-Sarraj had left Libya for an unspecified location and for an indefinite period, delegating his duties to his deputy, Ahmed Maitiq. Some news outlets, citing sources, alleged that Al-Sarraj would not return to Tripoli and would transfer powers to a new government. However, Al-Sarraj's media advisor, Hassan Al-Huni, denied the rumors in a statement to Sputnik, describing them as "completely false."
