Security Council approves new head of UN mission in Libya

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has approved U.N. diplomat Abdoulaye Bathily as the new U.N. envoy to Libya, ending a nine-month search amid increasing chaos in the oil-rich north African nation. The vote came a day after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had nominated the former Senegalese minister. But Libya’s transitional government, which opposed Bathily, reportedly sent a protest letter to Guterres about his decision. Its opposition raises questions about how effective the new envoy can be in trying to resolve the country’s political and economic crisis. The last U.N. special representative, Jan Kubis, resigned Nov. 23, 2021, after 10 months on the job.