UN envoy arrives in Libya's Benghazi to promote roadmap

By Walid Abdullah

BENGHAZI, Libya

UN envoy Ghassan Salame on Wednesday arrived in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi for an unannounced visit during which he plans to hold talks with local officials.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), of which Salame is the head, said via Twitter that the envoy had arrived in Benghazi for a “personal visit” during which he will would with city representatives to hear their views on a proposed “roadmap” for the country’s political future.

Salame’s Benghazi visit comes one day after a similar visit to the city of Misurata, during which he met with local officials there with the same aim.

On Monday, after meeting Salame in capital Tripoli, Fayez al-Sarraj, head of Libya’s UN-backed unity government, reiterated his commitment to supporting the UN’s ongoing efforts to achieve peace in Libya.

In September, Salame unveiled his roadmap for resolving Libya’s longstanding political crisis, which calls for holding presidential and parliamentary polls within one year.

The plan is ultimately aimed at establishing a “unified, representative” government within the framework of a 2015 political agreement -- that has since been slightly modified -- between the country’s rival political camps.

Libya has remained dogged by chaos and political uncertainty since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime President Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.

The ensuing power vacuum swiftly led to the emergence of several competing seats of government -- including one in Tobruk and another in capital Tripoli -- and a plethora of heavily-armed militia groups.