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By Libya Herald reporter.
Tripoli, 30 September 2016:
The EU has extended for another six months the sanctions it imposed at the beginning of April on President of the House of Representatives Ageela Saleh, Nuri Abu Sahmain, the president of the General National Congress (GNC) and Khalifa Ghwell, who was appointed as prime minister by the GNC in March 2015.
In a statement, the Council of the EU which represents the member states’ governments said it was doing so “in view of the gravity of the situation” and that it remained concerned about the situation in Libya, “in particular about acts that threaten the peace, security or stability of the country, and that impede or undermine the successful completion of Libya’s political transition”.
The decision to continue sanctions against the three but adding no one else to the list suggests a lack of any clear understanding about Libya at the highest levels within the EU. While Ghwell still considers himself prime minister and holds occasional “cabinet” meetings and a few members of the GNC cling to the belief that the institution still exists, neither he nor they could be said to be in a position to threaten Libya’s security and stability or its political transition – unlike others in the country who have not been sanctioned.
