U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told the Security Council he is deeply concerned by the battle for Tripoli and reports of fresh weapons supplies flowing into Libya, according to a report seen by AFP Monday. Guterres reported to the council on the European Union’s Operation Sophia to inspect vessels off Libya’s coast to shore up the arms embargo.
That military operation was authorized by a council resolution in 2016.
EU vessels conducted three vessel inspections in September, November and January, but no arms were found on board those ships, the report said.
Libyan port and Customs authorities, who are trained by the EU, seized armored vehicles in the port of Misrata in February and weapons in Khoms in January, according to the document.
“I am deeply concerned by the current military operation in Libya, which, reportedly, is being reinforced by arms transfers into the country, including by sea,” Guterres said in the report sent to the council Friday.
Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces hold the east of the country, launched the offensive on April 4 to seize Tripoli, seat of the U.N.-recognized government.
The EU warned that Haftar’s offensive represented a threat to international peace, and called for all sides of the conflict to put down their arms and commit to U.N. talks.
The assault derailed a U.N. plan to hold a national conference that would have paved the way to elections aiming to end the chaos.
U.N. experts earlier this month said in a separate report to the council that missiles fired at pro-Tripoli forces in April pointed to a likely drone attack that could involve a “third party,” possibly the United Arab Emirates.