Weekly Highlights
20,000 Filipino workers in Libya, 126 infected and 6 died of Coronavirus – demand for delayed salaries
5+5 Military Committee to hold second meeting in Sirte on Thursday 04 Feb
Clashes Erupt in Tripoli between GNA-Affiliated Militias
Libya Oil Guards Set New Salary Deadline as Exports Risk Lingers
UNHCR Update Libya (29 January 2021)
Currency Exchange:
- Bank exchange rate: USD 1 – LYD 4.4721
- Black market exchange rate: USD 1 – LYD 5.21
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
20,000 Filipino workers in Libya, 126 infected and 6 died of Coronavirus – demand for delayed salaries
There are 20,000 Filipinos still working in Libya in Libya despite the difficult situation the country is going through the Chargé d’Affaires of the Philippine Embassy to Libya Elmer Cato said on Wednesday (27 January). Cato was speaking during his meeting with Abdelsalam Kajman, Presidency Council Deputy during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tripoli. The Filipino workers, operating in several sectors including health and oil. Kajman confirmed the depth of relations between Libya and the Philippines, whose embassy did not leave Libya, despite all the circumstances the country has gone through. LIBYA HERALD
5+5 Military Committee to hold second meeting in Sirte on Thursday 04 Feb
Sources close to the members of the 5+5 Military Committee confirmed that it is due to hold its second meeting at its headquarters in Sirte on Thursday, February 4, to follow through on the implementation of the decisions issued, in particular, the removal of mercenaries and the opening of the road linking the east and west of the country. The sources said that arrangements are already underway for the security services of the municipality of Sirte to organize the meeting, which is the first following the deadline set by the committee for mercenaries to leave, which was expected to have been completed on January 23. LIBYA OBSERVER
Clashes Erupt in Tripoli between GNA-Affiliated Militias
Armed clashes erupted on Thursday between security members of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in the Libyan capital Tripoli. Eyewitnesses said that the warring sides have used heavy and medium weapons. The clash took place between the General Security Force and the Deterrence Force in the Andalus neighbourhood, in the centre of Tripoli. No official statements were made by the government or security bodies. However, sources revealed that the clashes followed a dispute between GNA-affiliated militias. This came as GNA Chief Fayez Al-Sarraj vowed to pay all dues for the fighting forces and compensate wounded individuals, according to Libyan sources. AAWSAT
Libya Oil Guards Set New Salary Deadline as Exports Risk Lingers
Guards protecting Libya’s oil installations gave the country’s government a new deadline to pay overdue salaries at two of the nation’s main crude-export terminals, maintaining a lingering threat to the conflict-ridden country’s shipments just months after they revived. Guards on strike at Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, the country’s largest and third-largest oil ports, gave the government 10 days from Thursday to pay the salaries, Mansour Latoush, the head of the protection unit of the Petroleum Facilities Guard at the two ports, said. The previous deadline was Jan. 24. “The operations at the port were going as normal since the guards announced the strike,” Latoush said, adding that recent disruptions have been weather-related. BNN BLOOMBERG
UNHCR Update Libya (29 January 2021)
As of 28 January, 469 refugees and migrants have been registered as rescued/intercepted at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard and disembarked in Libya. The population comprises 351 men, 44 women and 74 children. The majority of those disembarked so far in January are nationals from Mali, Ivory Coast and Cameroon. On 20 January, a total of 48 individuals disembarked at the Tripoli Naval base who had first embarked at Al-Zawiya (45 km west of Tripoli). UNHCR and its partner, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), continue to be present at disembarkation points to provide urgent medical assistance and core relief items. All individuals disembarked were transferred to detention centres by the Libyan authorities. RELIEF WEB
USEFUL INFORMATION
List of holidays in Libya 2021
| Date | Day | Name | Type |
| 17 Feb | Wednesday | Libyan Revolution Day | Public Holiday |
| 1 May | Saturday | May Day | Public Holiday |
| 13 May | Thursday | Eid al-Fitr | Public Holiday |
| 14 May | Friday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday | Public Holiday |
| 15 May | Saturday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday | Public Holiday |
| 19 Jul | Monday | Day of Arafah | Public Holiday |
| 20 Jul | Tuesday | Eid al-Adha | Public Holiday |
| 21 Jul | Wednesday | Eid al-Adha | Public Holiday |
| 22 Jul | Thursday | Eid al-Adha | Public Holiday |
| 10 Aug | Tuesday | Muharram | Public Holiday |
| 16 Sep | Thursday | Martyrs’ Day | Public Holiday |
| 19 Oct | Tuesday | The Prophet’s Birthday | Public Holiday |
| 23 Oct | Saturday | Liberation Day | Public Holiday |
| 24 Dec | Friday | Independence Day | Public Holiday |
Exchange rates – Libyan Dinar
According to our most recent information (31st January & 01st February 2021) the Libyan Dinar has the following exchange rates.
The exchange rate from your own bank or credit card company will differ somewhat from the exchange rates as mentioned above. Your bank or credit card company might also apply additional international charges.
LIBYA SECURITY & RISK LEVELS
Do not travel to Libya due to COVID-19, crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.
Crime levels in Libya remain high, including the threat of kidnapping for ransom. Westerners and U.S. citizens have been targets of these crimes.
Terrorist groups continue plotting attacks in Libya. Violent extremist activity in Libya remains high, and extremist groups have made threats against citizens. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, hotels, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities.
Outbreaks of violence between competing armed groups can occur with little warning and have the potential to impact citizens. The capital, Tripoli, and other cities, such as Surman, Al-Jufra, Misrata, Ajdabiya, Benghazi, Sabha, and Dernah, have witnessed fighting among armed groups, as well as terrorist attacks. Hotels and airports frequented by Westerners have been the targets of these attacks. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.
For the latest advice from the Libyan government, please visit the National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC) webpage at ncdc.org.ly/Ar/
If you decide to travel to Libya:
- Carry proof of citizenship and valid immigration status at all times.
- Avoid demonstrations and crowds.
- Make contingency plans to leave.
- Establish your own personal security plan in coordination with your employer or host organisation or consider consulting with a professional security organization.
LIBYA INCIDENT MAPPING: 26 JANUARY – 02 FEBRUARY 21
LIBYA – SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS IN DETAIL
That Pantsir-S1 it acquired from Libya isn’t the first Russian Missile System the U.S. has gotten its hands on
The U.S. acquisition of a Russian-built Pantsir-S1 from the Libyan battlefield last June isn’t surprising. After all, Washington has previously seized opportunities to acquire advanced Russian systems in order to attain a better understanding of their capabilities.
The Times recently reported that in June 2020, the U.S. took an intact mobile Pantsir-S1 (referred to by NATO as the SA-22 Greyhound) medium-altitude air defense missile system from Libya. The U.N.-recognized Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) had captured the system from Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) group after taking over al-Watiya airbase the previous month. The victorious GNA fighters triumphantly paraded their trophy down the streets of Tripoli. The Pantsir did not, however, remain in that group’s possession for long.
In a covert operation, a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport plane picked the point air defense system up from Libya’s Zuwara airport and flew it to Ramstein airbase in Germany. Its present location is unknown.
Clashes Erupt in Tripoli between GNA-Affiliated Militias
Armed clashes erupted on Thursday between security members of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in the Libyan capital Tripoli.
Eyewitnesses said that the warring sides have used heavy and medium weapons. The clash took place between the General Security Force and the Deterrence Force in the Andalus neighbourhood, in the centre of Tripoli.
No official statements were made by the government or security bodies. However, sources revealed that the clashes followed a dispute between GNA-affiliated militias. This came as GNA Chief Fayez Al-Sarraj vowed to pay all dues for the fighting forces and compensate wounded individuals, according to Libyan sources. He delivered his remarks during a meeting he held with military leaders, representatives from noble councils, businessmen, and Misrata municipality.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Wednesday called for the unification of the country’s electoral authorities for the municipal council elections.
REGIONAL REPORTED INCIDENT NUMBERS: 26 JANUARY – 02 FEBRUARY 21
POLITICAL OVERVIEW
The Amazigh Supreme Council (ASC) in Libya announced yesterday its irrevocable boycott of the planned referendum on the country’s draft constitution in the regions and cities affiliated to it, stressing that it is not bound by any results of this referendum. It rejected the outcomes of Libya’s House of Representatives and High State Council joint legal committee meetings in the Egyptian city of Hurghada regarding the referendum on the draft constitution, considering that this draft is based on subduing rather than on consensus. The ASC expressed its regret at what it described as the brothers in religion and the homeland disregarding their rights, threatening to take practical steps represented in creating a fourth administrative region and preparing a constitutional document for the Berbers. LIBYA HERALD
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it is ready to work with the United States to find a peaceful solution to the war in Libya, a day after being accused by the new administration of President Joe Biden of intervening in the conflict. “There is an urgent need for renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Libya,” Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE ambassador to the UN, said in a letter on Friday. “The UAE stands ready to work closely with all Security Council members, including the new US administration, to achieve a peaceful settlement for the Libyan people,” she said. AL JAZEERA
Aguila Saleh, president of Libya’s Tobruk-based House of Representatives and a staunch ally of warlord Khalifa Haftar, is unlikely to be chosen to lead the country ahead of elections set for the end of 2021, said a head of a political party. In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Juma al-Qamati, chairman of the Change Party, dismissed the chances of Saleh becoming Libya’s interim president following an UN-brokered agreement. The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) agreed last week in Morocco to appoint a temporary government until polls are held on Dec. 24, 2021 amid a ceasefire between the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Haftar. Saleh is among those tipped to head the interim government. AA
“Libya’s future is in your hands.” That was the message to prospective election candidates from the UN’s envoy to the country. Stephanie Williams, ahead of her trip to Geneva for what she predicted will be “a decisive round of intra-Libyan talks.” They are expected to lead to the creation of a new, temporary executive authority that will shepherd the nation toward elections scheduled for December. Williams has been acting head of the UN Support Mission in Libya for almost a year, since the resignation of Ghassan Salame. ARAB NEWS
Acting Ambassador of the United States (US) to the United Nations (UN) Richard Mills has called on Turkey and Russia to immediately initiate the withdrawal of their forces from Libya. In his remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Libya yesterday (January 28), Mills said, “We believe the Libyan nationwide ceasefire agreement that was signed in October remains the foundation for sustainable progress on the security, political, and economic tracks.” Noting that “the Libyans called for the removal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya within three months of the signing of the agreement,” Ambassador Mills stated. BIANET
AIRPORTS & BORDERS STATUS
