UK agrees to support Libya’s decentralisation process

The United Kingdom has agreed to support the UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA)’s decentralisation process and strengthen sub-national governance, the UK Embassy in Tripoli announced on Twitter.

According to the tweet, the UK Embassy in Tripoli signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Libya’s government which is based in Tripoli.

The #UK is pleased to have signed an MoU with the GNA to support #Libya’s decentralisation process and strengthen sub-national governance. Through the ‘Tazeez’ project the UK & partners @crownagents & @giz_gmbh will contribute to better and more responsive government services – pic.twitter.com/Ban3xvMlMp

— UK in Libya🇬🇧🇱🇾 (@UKinLibya) July 7, 2020

The embassy highlighted that through this project, called “Tazeez”, the UK and its UK implementation partner Crown Agents and Germany’s development agency GIZ, will contribute to better and more responsive government services in municipalities across Libya.

Since 2016, the UK government has given priority to bilateral oil and energy cooperation with the legitimate government of Libya.

Last week, the UK called for an end of oil blockade in Libya, reaffirming its support for the state owned National Oil Company (NOC). The embassy said in a statement on social media that the interruption of Libyan oil facilities has cost over $6 billion since January and damaged the oil sector’s infrastructure.

READ: Will Libya be the rock which destroys NATO?

Libya has been torn by a civil war since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country’s new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to a military offensive by warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces.

The UN recognises the GNA, headed by Fayez Al-Sarraj, as the country’s legitimate authority, as Tripoli battles Haftar’s militias.

The government launched ‘Operation Peace Storm’ against Haftar in March to counter Haftar’s attacks on the capital Tripoli, and recently liberated strategic locations, including Al-Watiya airbase and the city of Tarhuna, Haftar’s final stronghold in the west of the country.