UN postpones vote to extend UN Libya mission

The vote on a resolution to extend the United Nations Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL) scheduled for yesterday morning was postponed indefinitely at the last minute, diplomatic sources told Anadolu news agency.

The agency quoted the sources, who asked not to be named, as saying that at the last minute Russia submitted a resolution calling to extend the mission’s mandate until next April, instead of September, as stipulated in the original draft resolution prepared by Britain.

UNSMIL’s mandate comes to an end on 31 January.

The diplomatic sources added that Moscow also demanded that UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, appoint his own special envoy to Libya “without further delay”, replacing US diplomat Stephanie Williams.

Williams was appointed as “special advisor” instead of “envoy” in early December, days before the resignation of UN Special Envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis of Slovakia went into effect.

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