UN hears calls to enforce Libya arms embargo
The UN Security Council on Monday renewed a green
light to a European Union mission to combat migrant trafficking and arms
smuggling off Libya's coast amid calls for action to cut the flow of weapons.
The council voted unanimously to extend
authorization of Operation Sophia until June 2020.
Germany told the council that arms supplies
delivered in violation of a UN embargo were the main hurdle in the way of an
end to the fighting in Tripoli and a return to political talks.
"A seemingly unlimited arms supply fuel the
erroneous belief in the military solution to the conflict and contributes to
the unwillingness of actors on the ground to agree on a ceasefire and resume a
political process," said Germany's Deputy UN Ambassador Juergen Schulz.
"It is time to redouble our efforts, to assume
our responsiblity and ... find ways to finally implement the arms embargo
effectively," he told the council.
Belgium also expressed concerns about arms flows as
did South Africa.
The resolution, first adopted in 2016, allows
vessels of the EU operation to inspect ships in the Mediterranean suspected of
carrying weapons.
The EU, however, suspended naval patrols in March,
leaving it to air missions to keep track of suspicious ships.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has urged
European countries to send warships back to the Mediterranean to help enforce
the embargo.
UN envoy Ghassan Salame last month called for
immediate steps to cut off arms flows to Libya, warning that without quick
action, Libya will descend into civil war that could lead to a partition of the
country.
Hundreds of people have died and tens of thousands
displaced in the fighting in Tripoli and diplomatic efforts to return to
political talks have been deadlocked.
