The Special Representative of the UN retary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh told the UN ecurity Council that Libya is facing growing instability due to stalled political progress, a worsening economy, and prsistent institutional divisions.
Addressing the Council on Wednesday, she cautioned that some Libyan actors are bypassing democratic accountability, while parallel political structures are undermining efforts to reunify State institutions. Tetteh warned that maintaining the status quo without meaningful pressure risks delaying negotiations and deepening the crisis.
Economically, she highlighted rising prices, fuel shortages and increasing poverty as signs of an unsustainable system, fuelling public frustration and instability. Despite these challenges, she noted that a temporary oil revenue windfall offers a limited opportunity to stabilize the economy and improve public financial management.
On security, although no ceasefire violations have been reported, tensions remain high, particularly in border regions and coastal areas where armed groups and criminal networks are active. Tetteh also raised concerns over the humanitarian impact of the Sudan conflict, noting that Libya will require $115.5 million to support nearly 597,000 Sudanese refugees in 2026.
She urged the Security Council to push Libyan leaders towards unifying institutions and organizing national elections, stressing that the country has reached a critical political, economic and security juncture. Libya remains divided between the internationally recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and a rival eastern administration in Benghazi headed by Osama Hammad.
