On 7 September, in the morning, videos circulated online showing Libyan men storming the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) offices in Tripoli, intimidating and evicting staff and migrants from the location. The attackers claimed to be protesting the ‘resettlement’ of migrants in Libya and want to prevent the IOM from carrying out its work.
In a statement, the UN in Libya said it ‘strongly condemns the repeated incidents that occurred this morning on the premises of the service centre managed by one of the UN agencies in Tripoli. The UN acknowledges the actions taken by relevant authorities to respond to the incidents and investigate the circumstances of the deeply aggressive acts against staff and the people accessing humanitarian services of the centre. Such incidents must not be repeated.’ It called for reliance on verified information to guide public discourse and remain committed to engaging constructively and working closely with Libyan authorities and communities.
On 8 September, protestors blockaded the IOM offices with cement blocks in an effort to prevent the agency from using the site.
The same day, UNSMIL shared a statement from the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) Ministry of Foreign Affairs which said it is closely monitoring ‘any acts or attempts to attack the premises, offices or property of international organisations, UN agencies and diplomatic and consular missions.’ It stressed these properties have legal protection and as such, the ministry is referring reports of attacks to the Attorney General’s Office to take the necessary legal measures. It also called on citizens to refrain from ‘any acts targeting the premises, property, vehicles or personnel of international organisations.’