The US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order extending the US national emergency over Libya for another year, beyond February 25, 2025, and to refer the extension notice to the US Congress.
According to the White House, Biden stated in his letter to Congress that lifting the applicable sanctions threatens military escalation in Libya, and that the situation there still poses a major threat to the US national security and foreign policy.
Biden added in his letter that those whom he described as rejecting dialogue and obstructed the democratic transition were still interested in exploiting resources of the Libyan people to advance their narrow interests and perpetuate the conflict in the country.
Biden explained that many of these divisions relate to access to resources, adding that there will remain a serious risk that if Libyan state assets are not protected, they will be embezzled by parties determined to undermine the ongoing UN peace process, as he put it.
Biden also pointed out that diverting these resources could prolong and deepen the current instability in Libya, which would benefit ISIS and other “terrorist groups” that pose a serious threat to the national security of the United States and the security of regional partners, according to US President.
