Page 7 - Aruba-today-20200916

A7
WORLD NEWS Wednesday 16 september 2020

U.N. demands all countries enforce UN arms embargo on Libya

By EDITH M. LEDERER In addition to countries that
Associated Press supplied weapons, the ex-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The perts said 11 companies
U.N. Security Council ad- also violated the arms em-
opted a resolution Tuesday bargo, including the Wag-
demanding that all coun- ner Group, a private Rus-
tries enforce the widely vio- sian security company that
lated U.N. arms embargo in May provided between
on Libya, withdraw all mer- 800 and 1,200 mercenar-
cenaries from the North Af- ies to support Hifter's forces.
rican nation. The warring sides and their
The council also called for international backers also
political talks and a cease- failed to inspect aircraft or
fire in the war, stressing it vessels believed to carry
has no military solution. The weapons and ammunition.
vote was 13-0, with Russia The U.N. resolution called
and China abstaining. on all parties "to commit
In the years after the 2011 without delay to a lasting
uprising that toppled long- cease-fire and political
time autocrat Moammar dialogue under the lead-
Gadhafi, Libya has sunk ership" of the new special
further into turmoil and is In this Sept. 22, 2016 file photo, fighters of the Libyan forces affiliated to the Tripoli government rest envoy. It condemned "the
now divided between two and reload weapons during an offensive against Islamic State militants, in Sirte, Libya. forced shutdown of oil fa-
rival administrations, based Associated Press cilities," reiterating that "Lib-
in the country's east and ya's oil resources are for the
west, with an array of fight- September and stressed its a replacement for Salame towns. benefit of all Libyans" and
ers and militias — backed "central role in facilitating and the resolution asks Hifter is supported by the that the government in
by various foreign powers a Libyan-led and Libyan- Secretary-General Antonio United Arab Emirates, Rus- Tripoli "retains sole oversight
— allied with each side. owned inclusive political Guterres to appoint a spe- sia, Jordan and Egypt while over Libya's economic and
The resolution's approval process and in achieving a cial envoy "without delay." the Tripoli forces are sup- financial institutions."
follows a recent report by lasting cease-fire." Tensions in oil-rich Libya ported by the wealthy Gulf The resolution also express-
U.N. experts monitoring The job of former U.N. spe- escalated further when state of Qatar and by Tur- es "grave concern at the
sanctions on Libya that cial representative Ghas- east-based forces, under key, a bitter rival of Egypt deteriorating humanitarian
accused its warring par- san Salame, who resigned commander Khalifa Hifter, and the UAE in a broader situation," including insuf-
ties and their international in March, has been split launched an offensive in regional struggle over po- ficient basic services, the
backers — the United Arab into two, as the United April 2019 trying to capture litical Islam. plight of migrants, refugees
Emirates, Russia and Jordan States demanded, putting the capital, Tripoli. But Hift- Since Turkey and the UAE and Libyans displaced in
on one side and Turkey and a special envoy in charge er's campaign collapsed in stepped up their direct in- the country, and reports of
Qatar on the other — of vi- of UNSMIL to focus on me- June when militias backing volvement in Libya, "arms sexual and gender-based
olating the arms embargo, diating with Libyan and in- the U.N.-supported govern- transfers to Libya by those violence. It calls on Libyan
saying it remains "totally in- ternational parties to end ment in Tripoli, with Turkish two member states have authorities to take steps
effective." the conflict, with a coordi- support, gained the up- been extensive, blatant to close detention cen-
The resolution also extend- nator in charge of day-to- per hand, driving his forces and with complete disre- ters and speed delivery of
ed U.N.'s political mission in day operations. from the outskirts of the gard to the sanctions mea- services throughout the
Libya, or UNSMIL, until next The U.S. demand held up capital and other western sures," U.N. experts said. country.q

Brazil's da Silva faces new charge of money laundering

By MARCELO SOUSA he illegally received the Okamotto denied the ac-
Associated Press funds in Instituto Lula ac- cusations.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) counts between Decem- Da Silva's fourth accusa-
— Prosecutors in Brazil's ber 2013 and March 2014 tion stemming from the Car
sprawling Car Wash corrup- in exchange for granting Wash investigation comes
tion investigation on Mon- contracts with state-run oil soon after several prosecu-
day charged former Presi- company Petrobras. tors left the anti-corruption
dent Luiz Inácio Lula da Sil- Attorneys for the ex-pres- task force. The head of the
va with money laundering, ident known as Lula said force, Deltan Dallagnol,
less than a year after the they were surprised by the said on Sept. 1 that he will
country's top court ordered charges and that prosecu- step aside for family rea-
him freed from jail while he tors have no evidence to sons.
appealed his conviction in back them. Da Silva has re- Da Silva was released in
another case. peatedly claimed his inno- November 2019 after Bra-
Prosecutors said the left- cence and accused pros- zil's top court ruled that im-
leaning ex-leader who gov- ecutors in the Car Wash prisonment is only permit-
erned Brazil from 2003 to probe of politically perse- ted after all appeals have In this Feb. 13, 2020 file photo, Brazilian former President Luiz Ina-
2010 received bribes from cuting him. been exhausted. On Sept. cio Lula da Silva arrives for a meeting with the Italian Cgil union,
in Rome.
construction giant Odebre- Prosecutors also charged 7, the 74-year-old former Associated Press
cht disguised as donations his first finance minister president said he is "at the
to the institute that car- and the head of the Insti- service of the Brazilian peo- But he can only run for po- tions are overturned by the
ries his name. They allege tuto Lula, Paulo Okamotto. ple." litical office if his convic- nation's top court.q