Los Angeles/DNA — The world has taken a small step backward on the path of democracy since 2010, according to a global index being released this week by an international group of governance researchers. Los Angeles/DNA — The world has taken a small step backward on the path of democracy since 2010, according to a global index being released this week by an international group of governance researchers. The Democratic Accountability Index weighs the influence of citizens and institutions on governments. Other countries with some of the largest declines in the democracy index are Venezuela, Thailand, Turkey, Yemen and Russia. The 10 most improved countries in democratic accountability include four in Africa — Tunisia, Gambia, Liberia and Libya — plus Peru, Armenia, Bhutan, Iraq, Myanmar and Afghanistan.

Haftar commands the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, also known as the Libyan National Army. Although multiple armed groups serve under its banner, many operate under their own command structures and engage in their own raids and patrols across eastern Libya. (AFP/File)“In today’s Libya, armed groups are the only entities capable of projecting power and maintaining territorial control,” Jalel Harchaoui, an associate fellow at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute, told Arab News. Armed groups in Libya are often accused by the UN and human rights groups of committing war crimes with impunity. “Once corruption is addressed, further steps can be considered.”There are, however, multiple factors behind the Libyan military’s inability to rein in the country’s many armed groups.

UNITED NATIONS : The International Criminal Court prosecutor probing war crimes committed in Libya since 2011 announced Monday his plans to complete the investigation phase by the end of 2025.Presenting his regular report before the United Nations Security Council , Karim Khan said that "strong progress" had been made in the last 18 months, thanks in particular to better cooperation from Libyan authorities. "Our work is moving forward with increased speed and with a focus on trying to deliver on the legitimate expectations of the council and of the people of Libya," Khan said.He added that in the last six months, his team had completed 18 missions in three areas of Libya, collecting more than 800 pieces of evidence including video and audio material.Khan said he saw announcing a timeline to complete the investigation phase as a "landmark moment" in the case. "Of course, it's not going to be easy. It's going to require cooperation, candor, a 'can do' attitude from my office but also from the authorities in Libya," he added. "The aim would be to give effect to arrest warrants and to have initial proceedings start before the court in relation to at least one warrant by the end of next year," Khan said.The Security Council referred the situation in Libya to the ICC in February 2011 following a violent crackdown on unprecedented protests against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi .So far, the investigation opened by the court in March 2011 has produced three cases related to crimes against humanity and war crimes, though some proceedings were abandoned after the death of suspects.An arrest warrant remains in place for Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the assassinated Libyan dictator who was killed by rebel forces in October 2011.Libya has since been plagued by fighting, with power divided between a UN-recognized Tripoli government and a rival administration in the country's east.

The Ministry of Oil and Gas announced on Monday that revenues from oil concession amounted to 1.37 billion dinars last April, and these revenues include taxes on the quantities produced and exported of crude oil. The Ministry's General Department of Corporate Accounting explained that these revenues were collected from concession and participation contracts ConocoPhillips - Total Energy, according to the Ministry.

Libyan authorities arrested several high-ranking customs officials in connection with a foiled attempt to smuggle about $2 billion worth of gold. The detainees, including the director-general of the customs authority and the head of customs at Misrata airport, allegedly conspired with others to traffic about 26 tons of gold bullion, according to a statement on the Facebook page of the Attorney General’s Office. That would be valued at about $2 billion at current prices.

Several reputable Libyan media sites have published a copy of a leaked letter from the Administrative Control Authority (ACA) purporting to end the suspension of the Tripoli based Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Aoun. Neither the ACA nor the Tripoli based Aldabaiba government have made any official, direct or indirect, confirmation of the contents of the widely leaked letter. It will be recalled that on 25 March, the ACA had suspended Aoun and referred him to investigation. Khalifa Abdel Sadig has taken over the role as Acting Oil Minister. Oil Minister Aoun suspended by ACA – continues work claiming he has received no such notification (libyaherald.com)PM Aldabaiba meets new Acting Oil Minister Abdel Sadig (libyaherald.com)

EU government ministers approved 10 legislative parts of The New Pact on Migration and Asylum. Mainstream political parties believe the pact resolves the issues that have divided member nations since well over 1 million migrants swept into Europe in 2015, most fleeing war in Syria and Iraq. They hope the system will starve the far right of vote-winning oxygen in the June 6-9 elections. Critics say the pact will let nations detain migrants at borders and fingerprint children. Some 3.5 million migrants arrived legally in Europe in 2023.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Monitoring: The Libyan Presidential Council announced last week that it had joined the case of South Africa and Israel, now underway in the UN’s principal court.Libya filed the declaration of intervention concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.Libya said it filed the declaration because it believed the Israeli regime has been engaging in genocide against Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and failing to prevent and prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide.The African Arab state emphasized the Genocide Convention’s significance, saying the ICJ has recognized the prohibition of genocide as a jus cogens norm in international law.Libya’s intervention focuses on the proper interpretation of provisions outlining the duty to prevent and not commit and genocide, and the duty to punish it, as stipulated in Articles I, II, III, IV, V, and VI of the Convention.The case was initiated in December 2023 when the African country filed an application instituting proceedings against the Israelis concerning its violations by the Israeli forces of its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in Gaza.Article 63 of the ICJ statute grants member states to a convention the right to intervene in the proceedings concerning its rulings.South Africa complained Israelis’ conduct towards Palestinians in Gaza breached its obligations under the Genocide Convention. The application filed by South Africa also sought provisional measures to safeguard Palestinian rights under the Convention and ensure the Israelis compliance.On March 28, 2024, the Court indicated provisional measures, ordering Israel to prevent “plausible” genocide in Gaza, prevent displacement and loss of life in Palestine, desist from inciting genocide, and punish such incitements, among other directives.On Friday, South Africa filed an urgent request with the Court for further provisional measures and modification of those previously ordered.South Africa says the earlier measures “are not capable of ‘fully address[ing]’ the changed circumstances and new facts” underpinning its request, citing “the situation brought about by the Israeli assault on Rafah, and the extreme risk it poses to humanitarian supplies and basic services into Gaza.”In addition to Libya, Colombia and Egypt have also intervened in the case of South Africa and Israel, saying all the state members of the Genocide Convention should do everything in their power to contribute to ensuring the prevention, suppression, and punishment of genocide, and, therefore, assist the Court in establishing any state party’s failure to comply with its orders.Egypt’s intervention comes amid an escalation in attacks by Israeli forces on Rafah, a city which borders the Arab country and hosts a crossing by the same name which is responsible for a bulk of aid supplies reaching the besieged Gaza Strip./Press tv

But residents and aid workers say that many people haven’t had the cash to purchase them. COGAT, an Israeli Defense Ministry agency tasked with coordinating aid deliveries into the Palestinian territories, did not respond to Reuters’ questions. In February, the top US diplomat involved in humanitarian assistance to Gaza said Israeli forces had killed Palestinian police protecting a UN convoy. Many people were trading canned food or other aid for items they were missing, or selling them for cash, residents told Reuters. Aya, a resident of Gaza City who was displaced first to Rafah and then central Gaza by Israeli operations, received ten blankets in aid packages.

Strengthening Libya’s fiscal framework would enhance macroeconomic resilience. Reported inflation stayed low despite the depreciation of the parallel exchange rate. Avoiding the procyclical spending bias and strengthening Libya’s fiscal framework would enhance macroeconomic resilience and reduce volatility in activity and output. In the absence of conventional monetary policy tools, controlling fiscal expenditure would be the preferred response consistent with Libya’s macroeconomic policy framework. Promoting financial stability and strengthening monetary policy requires a comprehensive reform of the banking sector.

The Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and the Head of the High Council of State, Mohammed Takala, stressed the need to implement fair and impartial simultaneous elections. This call came during their meeting at the office of the High Council of State on Monday to discuss political affairs and government spending for 2024. The two officials agreed on the necessity of focusing on development projects and supporting municipalities to implement local administration programs as well as eliminating centralization, the necessity of addressing the fuel file, and establishing the necessary control methods. They also agreed to hold follow-up meetings by the High Council of State, the Administrative Control Authority, and the Audit Bureau to enhance the plan for disclosure and transparency in all government expenditures. Meanwhile, the meeting between was ahead of a scheduled meeting of the Arab League in Cairo, in which Takala would meet with the Head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Menfi, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aqila Saleh to complete their discussions regarding the political process and elections.

The Russian Federation increases its military presence in Libya and maintains strong relations with both rival governments in Tripoli (west) and Benghazi (east). A high-level Libyan political and military delegation traveled to Moscow, Russia today for talks on the latest security and military developments in Libya, but also on key economic, oil and gas files. General Haddad, the highest ranking soldier in western Libya, has solid relations with Turkey, the main military partner of the GUN which prevented Haftar from conquering Tripoli "manu militari" in the 2019-2020 war. “Unlike his brother Saddam, who plays a more open political role towards western Libya, Khaled is very impressed by the Russians and their weapons,” the sources add. The political and military delegation from Tripoli arrives in Moscow after rumors about the increase in Russia's military presence in Cyrenaica and Fezzan, in the territories controlled by General Khalifa Haftar's ENL.

In its Concluding Statement on its 2024 Mission on Article IV consultations with released today, the IMF said Libya’s short- and medium-term economic outlook is dominated by the dynamics of hydrocarbon production. The consultations discuss Libya’s economic and financial developments, the macroeconomic outlook, and the country’s policy and reform priorities. Strengthening Libya’s fiscal framework would enhance macroeconomic resilience. Avoiding the procyclical spending bias and strengthening Libya’s fiscal framework would enhance macroeconomic resilience and reduce volatility in activity and output. In this regard, improving costing tools and developing a fiscal framework for resource management would be a critical first step.

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces loyal to the Government of National Unity (GUN) based in Tripoli, General Mohammed al Haddad, is expected in these hours on an official visit to Moscow. This was revealed by the Russian ambassador to Libya, Haider Aghanin, in an interview with the Tripoli television station "Libya Al Ahrar”. Haddad's mission comes a few days after the visit to Russia of Khaled Haftar, son of General Khalifa Haftar, in his capacity as commander of the Security Forces of the Libyan National Army (NLA) based in Benghazi, in eastern Libya. At the center of the talks, the sources explain, will be the latest security and military developments in Libya, but also economic, oil and gas files. Yet Russia also maintains relations with western Libya, as demonstrated by the reopening of the embassy in Tripoli last February and Haddad's current mission to Moscow.

The Attorney General’s Office announced last Friday (10 May) that the former chairman of the state Afriqiyah Airlines has been put in provisional detention, pending investigation. He is accused of causing serious damage to public funds due to the unaccountability of US$ 950,000. He is accused of intentionally spending the amount without providing documents or invoices. He is also accused of achieving illegal material gain for others to the amount of US$ 30,000. As is the usual practice of the Attorney General’s Office, the accused is not named.