The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Senegalese diplomat Abdoulaye Bathiliy as new UN envoy to Libya and Head of UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Saturday, September 3, 2022.

Bathiliy worked as UN representative in Central Africa, a special advisor to the UN Secretary General on Madagascar and deputy special representative of the Secretary General in Mali.

The Libyan Presidential Council and Government of National Unity (GNU) have welcomed, in a statement, this appointment of  the Senegalese diplomat Abdoulaye Bathiliy to succeed Slovakian diplomat Jan Kubis, and reiterating that the role of the Secretary General is very significant in supporting Libyan efforts to reach peaceful solutions via the UN mission and to reach elections as soon as possible.

Relatedly, the GNU's Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, welcomed the appointment of Bathiliy as new Un envoy after objecting to it days ago, by saying in a statement that his government would support the new UN envoy's efforts and push for a comprehensive political solution that speeds up the agreement on a constitutional basis for elections.