Leon also said in emails that he would try to delegitimize the rival General National Congress(GNC) government and strengthen the HoR. Leon had been offered a job as head of a diplomatic college in Abu Dhabi in the UAE back in June. Leon spent the summer trying to negotiate a better housing allowance. When the Guardian discovered what Leon had been up to it wrote an article, and informed Leon. He asked the paper to hold off publishing and promised he would provide them an interview to explain the situation. However, just two days later, the UAE announced Leon’s appointment and so the Guardian went ahead and published its article.
Some of the issues in the Guardian article are discussed by a site that reports on UN news. At his appearance at the UN Security Council on November 5, Leon was asked by reporters about his acceptance of the UAE job while head of the dialogue process. He did not answer. But he did finally agree to a question and answer session on UNTV. I append the video:
Most of Leon’s answer has nothing to do with the question. Notice as well, he is not asked about the emails which show he said he would do his best to delegitimize the General National Congress(GNC) and strengthen the internationally-recognized House of Representatives(HoR). One of the emails even indicates he was getting directions from a UAE official. This is discussed peripherally in a second video question period with UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric:
Leon did reveal his negotiations with the UAE and obviously the UN thought that was fine. Of course, they were never made public. Dujarric repeats the UN line that Leon did a great job. As I have discussed in a recent article, the UN has shown in its actions that it is not trustworthy. It is quite clear it did not apply its own ethical guidelines to Leon’s situation. Instead of admitting this, the UN simply denies the obvious, a process at which the UN does have considerable expertise.
The UN released a statement from the Security Council on November 7. The statement urges the dialogue participants to sign on to Leon’s Libya Political Agreement(LPA) and form the Government of National Accord(GNA). It also reissues warnings that the HoR has long ignored: The members of the Security Council expressed concern about activities which could damage the integrity and unity of the Libyan State financial institutions and the National Oil Company, and highlighted the importance of these institutions continuing to function for the benefit of all Libyans.
The HoR some time ago set up its own National Oil Company. Tankers can no longer load at the port of Zuweitina unless they register with the National Oil Company set up by the HoR. The HoR also elected a rival head of the Central Bank.
The news release also threatens those who obstruct the signing of the LPA and formation of the Government of National Accord: The members of the Security Council recalled resolutions 2174 (2014), 2213 (2015) and 2214 (2015), and noted that the Libya Sanctions Committee is prepared to designate those who threaten Libya’s peace, stability and security or who undermine the successful completion of its political transition.
The commander of the HoR armed forces, Khalifa Haftar, has been carrying out his Operation Dignity, a military operation designed to clear Libya of Islamists, including the forces of the GNC government. He rejects the dialogue and a ceasefire. He has called the sanctions threat ridiculous. The EU named him as a target of sanctions. Instead he gained support from Egypt, the UAE, and the Arab League and signed a military deal with Jordan. Not only can the UN not speak of such things it is deaf to Haftar’s taunts as well.
The UN press release illustrates what I call the non-speak protocol. There are no specific names of those who are thought to block the democratic transition or threaten Libya’s peace. And the non-speak protocol also leaves out facts essential to understanding the situation. In this case there is no mention of Leon’s possible conflict of interest situation.
There is no mention of the parallel military dialogue which was to have ended in a ceasefire between the two rival forces and also approval of the political agreement. Several times Leon has noted that without such an agreement a political agreement is not enforceable. The main armed forces on each side reject the agreement. As mentioned earlier, Haftar has been pursuing a military solution to the crisis through his Operation Dignity that began in May 2014. Nevertheless the UN security council urges the parties to sign on to an LPA that neither parliament approves and even if they did would be unenforceable. This is what the UN understands as a job well done.
