UN envoy to Libya resigns

The UN special envoy to Libya, Jan Kubis of Slovakia, has quit less than a year after taking on the role.

According to diplomatic sources at the United Nation, No official reason was given for the resignation, ahead of Libya’s  presidential elections.

The UN Security Council recently split over whether to reconfigure the leadership of the global body’s political mission in Libya, with several members calling for the envoy’s post to be transferred from Geneva to Tripoli.

Kubis,, a former UN envoy to Lebanon, took up the Libya envoy post in January. His sudden exit comes a day after the close of presidential nominations for Libya’s  elections slated for December 24.

The candidates

According to Libya’s electoral commission, 98 candidates including two women have submitted applications to be on the presidential ballot.

Among the candidates  are Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, the son of  Moamer Kadhafi, and Khalifa Haftar, leader of the  Libyan National Army in control of the country’s east and parts of the south.

Also in the running are former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha and Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah of the interim Government of National Unity.

CGTN/Olajumoke /Qasim