UN mission welcomes Libya's decision to address security concerns

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Saturday welcomed the decision of the Libyan Presidency Council to form two committees to address security and human rights concerns following recent armed clashes in the capital, Tripoli.

"These efforts are aimed at strengthening security arrangements to prevent the outbreak of fighting and ensure the protection of civilians, as well as addressing human rights concerns in detention facilities, including widespread arbitrary detention," the UNSMIL said in a statement.

The Libyan Presidency Council on Thursday issued a decision to form a committee to make security and military arrangements in Tripoli and to "evacuate the city from all armed manifestations and allow regular military and police forces to perform their duties in a disciplined and organised manner."

The council also issued a decision to form another committee responsible for monitoring human rights conditions inside detention centres and prisons, as well as to list and review cases of arrests carried out without judicial oversight or referral to the public prosecution.

Tensions surged in Tripoli in mid-May after heavy fighting erupted between the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) and the 444 Brigade, a militia loyal to Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah. The violence broke out following the reported killing of an SSA commander inside a facility controlled by the 444 Brigade.

Libya has been suffering political division and insecurity since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Authorities struggle to impose their control in the country, as many armed groups operate independently.

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