Libya lacks an army that can exercise control over the region, Abdoulaye Bathily, the UN Envoy to Libya, has said in an interview with Jeune Afrique magazine.
He indicated that the militias are playing a dominant role in the western and eastern parts of the country, while mercenaries continue to be a source of tension in the south.
The publisher quoted Bathily as saying that he sometimes feels he accepted "the worst job," explaining that the challenges lie in the institutional leaders, who are not willing to go to elections as their primary interest remains their profits from oil.
The UN official emphasized the importance of achieving elections to appoint a unified authority, a president, and a parliament with a renewed mandate.
Without such a move, the country will see more fragmentation, Bathily warned as he urged the country's leaders to shoulder their responsibilities and make the right decisions.
Batelli had extended invitations to the key parties in Libya, informing them to attend a meeting to reach a political settlement on the disputed issues concerning the electoral laws.
