Khaled Al-Mishri, president of Libya’s High Council of State, has sharply criticized the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) for its endorsement of a recent council session that saw the election of a new leadership. In a statement issued Monday, Al-Mishri expressed “astonishment” at the UN’s characterization of the session as “consensual,” calling the description inaccurate and misleading.
He argued that the session lacked legal legitimacy and genuine consensus, citing the boycott of over 45 council members and violations of internal procedural rules. Al-Mishri condemned what he described as UNSMIL’s “unbalanced position,” asserting that the mission had been formally notified of an ongoing judicial dispute over the session’s legality.
The council president accused the UN of unjustified interference in Libya’s judicial affairs, warning that such actions undermine the independence of the judiciary and reflect unacceptable bias. He also pointed to what he called “blatant contradictions” in the UN’s approach, noting that during a previous session on 28 August, the mission had insisted on awaiting judicial rulings before taking any stance, a position he said was abandoned in the current case.
Al-Mishri interpreted the UN’s statement as an attempt to derail Libya’s homegrown political solution and monopolize the political file, in violation of principles of neutrality and national sovereignty. He emphasized that the legitimacy of Libyan institutions must stem from lawful procedures and the free will of the Libyan people, not from external declarations.
He called on all domestic and international actors to respect Libya’s sovereignty and refrain from influencing judicial processes or bypassing legal frameworks.
