LOC21:30
18:30 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26 (KUNA) -- A UN official on Monday urged the
international community to establish control over large stocks of
sophisticated arms and an undisclosed depot of chemical weapons materials in
Libya before they fall in the hands of terrorists.
Addressing the Security Council, UN Under Secretary-General for Political
Affairs Lynn Pascoe said it is "imperative" that the Libyan National
Transitional Council (NTC) and the international community establish control
over those stocks, including ground to air missiles.
"The spread of these weapons and the danger they could fall into the hands
of terrorists are matters of grave concern," he warned. "Re-establishing
control over chemical weapons material is of paramount importance," he added.
He mentioned that the undisclosed depot of chemical weapons materials, near
Jufra, 435 miles south of the capital Tripoli, reported last week by forces
associated with the NTC are being looked into by the Organisation for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
He said Libya still faces many other challenges, but expressed confidence
that the Libyan people will overcome them with "our collective support and
assistance".
He said it is "essential" that steps to address national reconciliation and
unity and to ensure that all military groups are brought under a unified
command and the political authority of the NTC "be carried out quickly".
The formation of a new inclusive interim government that reflects the full
diversity of the Libyan society, he added, will be a "crucial" step in this
direction.
He also said it is "essential" that the NTC secure the newly uncovered mass
grave near Abu Salim prison in Tripoli, as well as other grave sites, so that
the fate of the disappeared persons may be clarified, and that every effort
must be made to prevent reprisal attacks on members of the former regime.
He called on all Member States in this regard to cooperate with the
International Criminal Court (ICC) to "ensure that those indicted are
apprehended if they leave or have left Libya".
In the context of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), established by
the Council in mid-September, Pascoe said the first electoral experts will
arrive in Libya this week to further assess the electoral needs and to discuss
the assistance necessary to support Libyan national efforts. (end)
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