In her UNSC briefing on 19 December, SRSG Hanna Tetteh gave an overview of the security and human rights situation in Libya.
Tetteh said that following the agreement on new security arrangements in Tripoli, the security environment in the capital has stabilized to a certain extent. The truce continues to hold, however, the situation in Tripoli and western Libya remains fragile with sporadic outbreak of armed clashes in areas in southern Tripoli and elsewhere.
However, Tetteh remains ‘deeply concerned about human rights violations including violence against women, migrants and minorities, and deaths in custody.’ She highlighted the killing of Khansa Al-Moujahed, a prominent figure and blogger, on 21 November in Tripoli, saying it sends a chilling message to women on participating in public life and risks silencing them at a time when their contribution is most needed. She called on the HoR to expedite an impartial and transparent investigation, prosecute those responsible and take urgent measures to ensure all Libyans can safely engage in civic activities without fear, which would include the adoption of the law on the prevention of violence against women.
Tetteh also said that on 26 October, UNSMIL had confirmed another death in custody of a detainee in Benghazi following alleged torture and denial of medical care by a unit reportedly affiliated with the Minister of Interior in the East. This brings the total number of deaths in custody that have been verified by UNSMIL between March 2024 and November 2025 to 24. These deaths raise serious concerns about wider patterns of arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and lack of accountability.
Interestingly, Tetteh did not mention the presence of foreign forces in her briefing, but concerns were raised by other members.
The representative of Algeria, also speaking for Guyana, Sierra Leone and Somalia, spotlighted the uncertain stability situation in Libya amid external interference, which is exacerbated by the continued flow of arms into the country. That illicit trafficking not only sustains the activities of local armed groups but also fuels the machinery of war in Sudan and the Sahel — ‘often with the active support of the same external actors’, he said. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces, foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya.