The United Nations is scrambling to manage the postponement of Libyan presidential elections set for 24 December as fears grow that a looming political vacuum will lead to renewed violence and economic chaos.
There has been no formal announcement on a postponement, but all sides acknowledge the vote cannot proceed, not least because a list of authorised candidates has yet to be published.
Libya has seen a year of relative calm since a landmark October 2020 ceasefire following almost a decade of conflict and the UN has been pushing for elections as part of a multi-pronged effort to cement the peace.
Tensions are building over whether the interim government of national unity can remain in office after its formal term expires on the 24th. Roadblocks and armed vehicles have also begun to appear in parts of the capital, Tripoli, and four major oilfields have been shut due to their occupation by militia.
The UN mission to Libya warned that developments in Tripoli did not bode well for maintaining stability and establishing the conditions for free and fair elections.
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