In an expansive statement to Almanassa, Abdel Moneim Al-Hur, President of the Arab Organization for Human Rights in Libya, offered a detailed critique of the United Nations’ strategy that intertwines national reconciliation with the human rights framework. Al-Hur described this trajectory as one that inspires “cautious hope,” arguing that the integration of human rights is not a political luxury but a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable peace. He maintained that any reconciliation process devoid of transitional justice and human rights protections is inherently fragile and destined to fail. Furthermore, he cautioned that pursuing reconciliation at the expense of victims’ rights would amount to a “falsification of history” and a deliberate suppression of the truth, which cannot serve as a foundation for a stable state.
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Analyzing the current political landscape, Al-Hur asserted that the complex issue of national reconciliation should not be fully opened during volatile transitional periods. Instead, it necessitates robust state institutions operating under a government that possesses electoral legitimacy and exercises full sovereignty over the entire Libyan territory. While he acknowledged the UN-led path as a “historic opportunity” to address the root causes of conflict—including systemic marginalization and the lack of accountability for heinous crimes—he expressed profound concern that this path might be manipulated for political ends, much like previous human rights initiatives.
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Al-Hur emphasized the need for a comprehensive and inclusive national dialogue that incorporates the voices of the youth, women, civil society, and the various cultural minorities of the Libyan nation. He advocated for the development of transitional justice mechanisms specifically tailored to the Libyan context, such as independent commissions of inquiry and extensive reparation programs that place victims and their families at the heart of the process. Ultimately, Al-Hur concluded that while this path is arduous, its success depends on prioritizing the human rights of the Libyan people over international geopolitical interests. He warned that the alternative to this rights-centered approach is the continued and tragic cycle of institutional instability and armed conflict.