The new UN envoy to Libya plans to meet with Gaddafi government officials in Tripoli over the next few days.
The envoy, former Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdelilah Al Khatib, met with Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and was introduced to the press today at UN headquarters in New York. Khatib said he accepted the position in the hope of ending attacks against civilians and preserving the unity of the Libyan people.
Khatib will go to Libya with senior UN humanitarian officials, who so far have been prevented from entering the country to assess humanitarian needs.
Ban said Khatib’s mission would not only be to assess the humanitarian situation on the ground but also to undertake broad consultations on political and security issues with various actors, although he said he was not yet sure if his envoy would reach out the Libyan National Council, the newly created opposition group consisting of former Gaddafi government officials.
In Paris today, French President Nicolas Sarkozy met representatives of Libyan National Council, and referred to the group as Libya’s legitimate government.
Ban refused to comment the French statement, instead saying the recognition or legitimacy of any government was a matter to be determined by UN member states. For his part Khatib said he hoped to meet all parties involved in the conflict.
Accounts of civilian deaths have increased in recent days, as Gaddafi’s forces have reportedly launched a military offensive aiming to take back opposition held towns.
Yesterday, US National Intelligence Director James Clapper said that as the situation now stands, he anticipates an eventual Gaddafi military victory over opposition groups.
In the past few days, some Western governments have floated the idea of offering military assistance to Libya’s opposition, although some have voiced concern this might be a violation of the most recent Security Council resolution imposing an arms embargo on the country. Ban said international organizations , including the Security Council, would be focusing on bold steps to address the fighting in the coming weeks, but that the final decision on how to proceed would once again belong to them.