“How can psychological and social support stop my crying every night, when my son has not returned home for seven years?!”... With this question, one of the victims’ fathers from the city of Tarhuna responded to the legal and psychological support efforts provided by the United Nations to the families of missing persons in Libya.
The United Nations mission to Libya and the United Nations Development Program organized awareness sessions for families in the cities of Tarhuna and Tajoura, the content of which was revealed on Saturday evening, who spent years searching for answers about the fate of their missing children.
The file of missing and forcibly disappeared persons in Libya constitutes a deep wound and a complex issue since the deterioration of security chaos in the country, a file whose intensity has escalated due to the ongoing political and military division.
In Tarhuna, located southeast of the capital, Tripoli, the tragedy of “mass graves” and the accompanying large-scale killings and liquidations attributed to the “Al-Kaniyat” militia unfolded, following the faltering military attack led by the “National Army” led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar on Tripoli in 2019.
Since that date, the families of the victims have complained about the “slowness of justice in holding the perpetrators accountable,” expressing their dissatisfaction with “the continued state of impunity,” demanding “revenge against the killers of their sons,” and warning that these crimes “impede any direction toward national reconciliation and undermine social peace.”
The UN mission quoted families in Tarhuna as saying that they are “still searching for answers about relatives who disappeared during the years of violence documented in a joint report issued in 2024 by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,” and said: “Despite ongoing efforts since 2020 to uncover (mass graves), more than 60 people are still missing.”
It is noteworthy that between 2013 and 2020, hundreds of people disappeared or were kidnapped in Tarhuna when the city was under the control of the “Kaniyat” militia, according to investigations by the United Nations mission and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The joint report stated that “more were killed without trial, or unjustly detained and subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and more than 20 mass graves were discovered.”
Residents of Tarhuna had found “mass graves” after the end of the war on Tripoli in early June 2020, containing hundreds of bodies of different ages. Dozens of bodies of people, some of them handcuffed, were also recovered from sites in the Tarhuna desert, with an iron container and a broken well nearby, including children.
In October 2024, the International Criminal Court issued six arrest warrants related to the crimes that occurred in Tarhuna, and two suspects have since been arrested, but neither has yet been referred to the court in The Hague.
During the sessions sponsored by the UN mission, and attended by 50 members of the families of the missing, the mission said that “lawyers provided explanations on how to report cases of disappearance and follow up on procedures with the judicial authorities.”
They also explained how to communicate with the “General Authority for Search and Identification of Missing Persons,” regarding taking DNA samples and identifying victims, in addition to how to extract official civil documents such as: death certificates, claiming compensation, and requesting the return of the remains of missing persons.
Specialists in psychological and social support reviewed the available forms of support - whether on the individual or group level - and invited families to discuss their needs... The mission quoted the specialists as saying, “Families of the missing suffer from a special type of pain, known as (ambiguous loss), which hinders the natural process of grief.”
The General Authority for Search and Identification of Missing Persons documented 7,169 missing persons in Libya, while the International Committee for Missing Persons monitored more than 2,500 cases between 2012 and 2014 in several Libyan cities. The crisis continued with the discovery of “mass graves” in Tarhuna, in addition to cases related to irregular migration and the repercussions of the “Derna Hurricane.”
In Tajoura, where families are still searching for relatives who have been missing since 2011, the UN mission quoted one of the mothers as expressing her loss of hope in the justice system, and that since her son’s disappearance she has been waiting for only one thing: The mother says: “All I want is a part of my son’s remains; "So I can bury him and finally find some peace."
In addition, Libya suffers from forced kidnappings of citizens and activists. Local and international human rights organizations and centers have counted dozens of cases of forced kidnapping, while the Public Prosecution says it is working to investigate some of these crimes.
The National Institution for Human Rights said that it counted 13 complaints and 9 reports during the last period of 2026 from families and relatives of arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared persons.
The organization explained in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat that the complaints include “their children being subjected to incidents of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearance by members of the (111th Brigade) of the Border Guard, headed by the General Staff of the Army in western Libya.”
The Foundation considers “this incident and others a grave violation of human rights and an undermining of the rule of law and justice, punishable by the Libyan Penal Code.”
The conflict in positions regarding the teachers’ strike crisis in Libya has escalated, between governmental and local calls to resume studies, and protest movements that insist on continuing the strike until the financial and professional demands are implemented, at a time when the announced agreements have not succeeded in ending the crisis, which has entered its second month, and threatens to further disrupt the educational process.
The latest manifestation of this conflict comes with the “Union of Western Mountain Municipalities” demanding that the interim “national unity” government headed by Abdel Hamid Dabaiba take urgent measures to resume studies, coinciding with the announcement of the “Tajoura Teachers’ Movement” to organize a new protest on Monday, confirming the continuation of the movements demanding rights.
A statement by the union, following a meeting, on Saturday evening, in the municipality of Nesma (southwest of Tripoli), called on the Public Prosecutor to “investigate the facts that require accountability, in order to preserve the rights of students and ensure the continuation of the educational process,” warning of “the continued disruption of schools and the resulting accumulation of lessons and increased burdens on families.”
The statement stressed that “demanding employment rights does not justify depriving students of education or disrupting state institutions outside legal frameworks,” warning against “exploiting professional movements to achieve goals that do not serve the educational process and the public interest.”
In a development that reflects the continuing dispute, the “Center Tripoli Teachers’ Union,” in a statement following a meeting it held on Saturday evening, which included school principals and delegates, announced the continuation of the strike and peaceful sit-in “until the full demands of teachers and their legitimate rights are achieved,” calling on everyone to “adhere to union decisions and class unity.”
The “Tajoura Teachers’ Movement” also announced the organization of a protest, on Monday, in front of the municipal education inspectorate, in confirmation of the continuation of movements demanding the rights of teachers and improving their job conditions.
The Supervision of Education in Tajoura had announced the resumption of studies starting from Sunday, based on the ministry’s directives and the announced agreement reached with the General Teachers’ Union, but the teachers’ movements confirmed the continuation of the strike and sit-in until the demands are implemented, refusing to consider the announced agreements as a final settlement unless they include a comprehensive and binding treatment of financial and professional dues.
Al-Dabaiba had announced “reaching an agreement with the General Union of Teachers,” in the presence of Finance Minister Rashid Abu Ghafa, which included the adoption of a unified salary schedule in government sectors, to be implemented during the current month, and the disbursement of the quota allowance to teachers for the current year after being referred by the Ministry of Education.
The announced government understandings included disbursing bonuses to school principals and their assistants along with this month’s salaries, working to provide health insurance for teachers, issuing regulations to protect their rights, and settling outstanding financial differences, in accordance with relevant legislation.
The General Teachers Syndicate announced the end of the sit-in, while the government called for the resumption of studies, but other movements continued to protest, stressing that “ending the strike requires ensuring the implementation of the declared commitments in a clear and binding manner.”
The teachers' movement rejected calls to reopen schools before settling the demands, while educational authorities issued instructions to resume studies and asked education monitors to submit reports on attendance and the regularity of the educational process.
The teachers' protests began on September 13, coinciding with the scheduled start of the school year, with sit-ins in front of schools and government buildings in Tripoli and other areas, before turning into an open strike that included government schools in a number of cities and municipalities, including Tajoura and areas of the Western Mountain.
The developments put the “unity” government before a double test: ensuring the regularity of studies on the one hand, and implementing the financial and professional commitments it announced on the other hand, while containing the crisis remains dependent on the extent of implementation of the announced agreements.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi received Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati, and discussed with him “ways to advance bilateral relations and expand the horizons of joint cooperation between the two countries, in addition to consultations on enhancing security and stability in the region,” according to an Egyptian statement.
The meeting came on the sidelines of the meetings of the 52nd session of the “Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation” in Baghdad. During it, Abdel Ati stressed that “Egypt views Iraq’s security and stability as a pivotal element in the Arab national security system, based on the historical ties and common interests that bring together the two brotherly countries.” He stressed "his country's full support for Iraq's sovereignty, territorial integrity and national institutions, and its rejection of any interference in its internal affairs."
According to a statement by the official spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nader Zaki, on Sunday, Minister Abdel Ati “conveyed the greetings of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the Iraqi Prime Minister, expressing his aspiration for his expected visit to Cairo on November 23, and praising the momentum witnessed by Egyptian-Iraqi relations and the continuous communication at various levels.”
Abdel Ati pointed to “the importance of promoting economic, commercial and investment cooperation, enhancing the participation of Egyptian companies in infrastructure, reconstruction and development projects in Iraq, and benefiting from Egyptian expertise in the sectors of construction, transportation, energy, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries, as well as increasing the volume of trade exchange and facilitating the access of Egyptian products to Iraqi markets.”
According to a Foreign Ministry spokesman, the meeting discussed “ways to activate the tripartite cooperation mechanism between Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan, and accelerate the implementation of joint projects, especially in the fields of electrical and oil connectivity, in a way that supports economic integration and achieves the common interests of the three countries.”
During his meeting with Al-Zaidi, Badr Abdel Ati appreciated “the Iraqi government’s efforts to strengthen internal security and consolidate the authority of the state and its institutions, including restricting weapons to the state,” and praised “the Iraqi approach that is keen not to engage in regional conflicts or allow its lands to be used to threaten neighboring countries,” stressing “the importance of protecting Iraq from the repercussions of regional tensions and preserving its gains in the fields of security and development.”
The talks also included developments in the situation in Syria and Yemen, and the repercussions of regional tensions on the security of international navigation, especially in the Strait of Hormuz. The two sides agreed on “the importance of intensifying consultation and coordination between the two countries during the coming period.”
In turn, Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Haibat Al-Halbousi, discussed with Abdel-Ati ways to strengthen bilateral relations, especially at the parliamentary level.
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Minister Abdel-Ati stressed “the importance of strengthening parliamentary cooperation and coordinating positions in regional and international forums, including the Arab Parliament,” expressing his aspiration to hold the fourth session of the “Joint Egyptian-Iraqi Supreme Committee” in Cairo, as well as enhancing the participation of Egyptian companies in development and reconstruction projects in Iraq.
Abdel-Ati also held talks in Baghdad with the head of the “National Wisdom Movement,” Ammar al-Hakim, which dealt with developments in Syria and Yemen, security and freedom of navigation, including the Strait of Hormuz, while emphasizing the necessity of reducing escalation, giving priority to political and diplomatic solutions, and continuing Egyptian-Iraqi coordination to support regional security and stability.
During a meeting with the head of the Iraqi Taqaddam Party, Muhammad al-Halbousi, Abdel Ati also highlighted “the promising opportunities to expand economic and trade cooperation and increase the contributions of Egyptian companies to infrastructure and reconstruction projects.”
During his meeting with the former Iraqi Prime Minister and head of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, the Egyptian Foreign Minister appreciated “the Iraqi approach based on avoiding involvement in regional conflicts, and the importance of building on it to enhance Egyptian-Iraqi coordination in facing common challenges, and contributing to containing tensions and preserving the security and stability of the region.”
