US defends UN advisor against accusation of bias by Libyan government

The United States has expressed regret over the accusation of bias made by the Libyan government against U.N. Advisor Stephanie Williams on Thursday.

This comes after Mohamed Hamouda, the government’s spokesman, claimed that Williams is fueling the political crisis in Libya by siding with Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha over the incumbent Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.

In a statement on Thursday, the U.S. Embassy in Libya said that Williams, who is an American citizen, used a diplomatic approach that is “consistent with the core tenets of UN Security Council resolutions and the outcomes of international meetings on Libya”.

“No international public servant has been more scrupulously even-handed in bringing all Libyan voices to the table in the effort to restore stability to Libya,” the embassy said.

“The United States shares UNSMIL’s dedicated focus on helping Libyans to establish a credible timeline for elections as soon as possible in line with the aspirations of the Libyan people,” it concluded.