The Secretary-General held today a phone call with Mr. Fathi Bashagha, former Minister of the Interior of the Government of National Accord of the State of Libya, who was nominated as Prime Minister-designate by the Libyan House of Representatives on 10 February. The Secretary-General and Mr. Bashagha discussed the latest developments in Libya.

The Secretary-General expressed deep concern at the ongoing political polarization in Libya, which carries significant risks for Libya’s hard-won stability.

The Secretary-General stressed the need for all actors to preserve calm and stability on the ground, while reiterating the UN’s firm rejection for the use of violence, intimidation and hate speech. He added that the current stalemate required urgent dialogue to find a consensual way forward and reiterated his full support to mediation efforts as carried out by his Special Adviser on Libya, Ms. Stephanie Williams.