Libya: UN mission condemns armed elements storming the Court of Audit headquarters in Tripoli

Tunis, Oct 21 (KUNA) -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned on Wednesday the breach of the Court of Audit headquarters in the capital, Tripoli, by armed elements. In a statement, the mission “strongly condemns the use of force and intimidation inside the Court of Audit headquarters in Tripoli,” calling for an immediate halt to all forms of armed interference in the Court’s affairs, particularly the forced appointment of an individual and the immediate withdrawal of armed elements from its premises. The mission affirmed that the use of force to impose appointments within sovereign institutions is entirely unacceptable and poses a serious threat to the rule of law, as well as to the integrity and independence of these institutions. The mission expressed deep concern over the targeting of the Court of Audit, an independent oversight body tasked with safeguarding public funds and ensuring accountability in the management of state resources, warning that imposing leadership changes through intimidation could further erode public trust, undermine the integrity of public financial oversight, and hinder the Court’s ability to perform its duties independently and effectively, to the detriment of the Libyan people’s interests. The mission called on all concerned parties to resolve disputes related to appointments in sovereign institutions exclusively through legal and institutional channels, in accordance with prevailing Libyan legislation and consistent with the provisions and principles of the Libyan Political Agreement. Libyan media had reported news and footage of armed elements breaching the Court’s headquarters in the Al-Zahra area of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. The Libyan News Agency reported that armed elements entered the Court of Audit headquarters with the aim of forcibly installing a deputy head of the Court. (End) S.B.M./A.M.S.