Member states of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted against a draft resolution by Russia on Wednesday that was aimed at extending cross-border aid to Syria via a single border gate for the next six months. The draft only garnered support from Russian ally China, South Africa, and Vietnam, apart from its own vote.
The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France, the Dominican Republic, and Estonia all voted against the draft, while Niger, Indonesia, Tunisia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines abstained from voting. The draft resolution required a minimum of nine “yes” votes to pass.
Russia had introduced a draft to the Council on Tuesday which suggested the adoption of a single checkpoint for humanitarian aid to Syria. In the same vein, both China and Russia had exercised their veto against a draft resolution sponsored by Germany and Belgium, which proposed the existence of two checkpoints in the country for the UN to carry out its cross-border humanitarian assistance. Moscow’s primary argument was that the Bab al-Hawa crossing at the Turkish border is enough to serve as a checkpoint for all humanitarian aid entering Idlib.
See also: After Vetoing German-Belgian Resolution, Russia Introduces Draft to UNSC on Syrian Aid
Simultaneously, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the Council that the Libyan conflict had entered an unprecedented new phase with foreign intervention reaching an all-time high. “The conflict has entered a new phase with foreign interference reaching unprecedented levels, including in the delivery of sophisticated equipment and the number of mercenaries involved in the fighting,” he said.
On the other hand, in an interview with the Swiss-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue on Wednesday, former UN Libya envoy Ghassan Salame slammed the UNSC, accusing its members of “hypocrisy”, stating he felt like he was “stabbed in the back” by the world body. Salame revealed that he felt betrayed by the organization because on the day that renegade general Khalifa Haftar’s forces launched their offensive in Tripoli, the general allegedly had the support of most members of the Council.
Salame announced his resignation less than a year after Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) attacked Tripoli in an attempt to seize it from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). Salame’s work involved clandestine efforts to end almost a decade of turmoil in the war-torn country since the 2011 ousting of dictator Muammar Gaddafi that left the country in a constant state of violence due to the division of support between rival governments. Salame, a former Lebanese culture minister and international relations professor was appointed as the Libya envoy in 2017, and during his tenure struggled to bring the LNA and the GNA together to hold peace talks.
Turkey, which backs the GNA, has deployed troops in the country since April in a military cooperation deal, and is the government’s primary and most important ally in its fight against the rebels. On the other hand, the LNA has been backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, apart from Russia.
Libya Coverage:
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Image Source: CNN