Lifting Arms Embargo Against Libya Impossible Until Country's Army Unites – UN

Sputnik News

18:17 09.09.2016(updated 18:18 09.09.2016)

The issue to lift the arms embargo against Libya can be raised when the country gets a single army, the United Nations' envoy told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The arms embargo against Libya will remain in place as long as the country does not have a single army which could ask for the restriction to be lifted, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Martin Kobler told Sputnik.

"Only a Libyan Army, under the authority of the presidency council can request the lifting of the weapons embargo, and this army is not yet there," Kobler said.

According to the official, the Libyan national army is in the east of the country, but there are also separate armed formations in the east and the west of Libya.

"They all have to come together under one roof, and this roof is the presidency council, and then there must be an army structure… for everybody the east, the west and the southern groups they have a role, and the presidency council can request the exemption of the weapons embargo," Kobler added.

The UN Security Council imposed arms embargo on Libya in February 2011, after the country became politically unstable. It requires all UN member states to prevent the sale or supply of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment and spare parts, to the country.

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