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A unit of the Libyan Anti-Terrorism Force arrested on Saturday dawn in Bani Walid a man named Ashraf Al-Khazmi, who is a relative of a senior leader of ISIS Embarek Al-Khazmi that was detained by Joint Operations Force of the Government of National Unity on September 07 in Bani Walid as well in coordination with the Public Prosecutors Office, local sources have reported.

Clashes were reported in Bani Walid Saturday morning between the Anti-Terrorism Force and a human trafficker. Reports of an airstrike on human trafficking dens were also circulated but later, sources denied them.

A security source said the clashes were by using medium weapons in south Bani Walid in a farm in District 51 that is used for trafficking people, adding that the reason behind the arrest of Al-Khazmi was his relationship to smuggling and trafficking gangs not his relation to ISIS senior leader Embarek Al-Khazmi.

Originally posted here:
Clashes in Bani Walid, a relative of ISIS senior leader arrested - The Libya Observer

May 9, 2022

Editor's note:This story is part of aseriesof profiles ofnotablespring 2022 graduates.

Like many students who choose to complete Arizona State University degrees online, Asmaa Khalifa had life responsibilities to juggle while completing her masters degree that many of her classmates could identify with: Parent, homeschooler of her three children, caregiver to an elder. Asmaa Khalifa, who earned a bachelor's degree in liberal studies in ASU's College of Integrative Sciences and Arts in 2017, has now completed the Master of Science in organizational leadership. Khalifa hopes to eventually complete a doctorate: "I would like to teach undergraduates as well as continue to develop my theory on everyday leadership," said Khalifa. Download Full Image

But some of the other challenges this College of Integrative Sciences and Arts student faced down were almost unfathomable to peers.

Because of my unique geographic location, there was always the time difference (I am GMT+2, so nine hours ahead of Arizona now), noted Khalifa, whose hometown is Lancaster, California, but who has lived in Tripoli, Libya, where her husbands family is from, for two decades. But having been through a revolution, being an expatriate in Libya, calling on my experiences as a displaced person, and honoring my culture and traditions which never coincided with coursework was quite beyond what I was hearing from my peers in and out of the classroom.

I quickly came to realize that the Libyan adage The fingers on your hand are not the same length is more descriptive of my experience than I wanted to admit at the time, she said, looking back on the last two years.

Recognizing the extraordinary context within which Khalifa was working, the faculty in the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership program rallied around her.

Khalifa, who graduated in 2017 with a bachelors degree in liberal studies in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, was one of the first students to enroll in the organizational leadership masters program.

Leadership and integrative studies Senior Lecturer L. Marie Walllace met her early in the program and worked closely with Khalifa on a project for the elective course OGL 554: Learning and Development in Organizations.

This was one of the first courses she took in the graduate program, and when it became apparent that the research she was interested in pursuing might be roadblocked because Libya was one of the three countries ASUs Institutional Review Board did not have approved IRB protocols for, rather than being dissuaded, Asmaa developed a training protocol for the Ministry of Education in Libya to create the protocols, said Wallace, and has them ready to implement on a large scale when the time is appropriate.

Wallace recommended that Khalifa ask Robert Kirsch, director of the masters program, to serve as her thesis adviser because, she said, he has a level of expertise in political science and critical leadership studies, a relatively new and burgeoning field that intersects well with Asmaas academic interests.

I also knew he had the empathy to be sensitive to the cultural milieu in which she functions, related to the expectations of motherhood and being a daughter-in-law inLibya. Asmaa faces obstacles that many students do not encounter. She has to worry about her family's safety and well-being in a way that is quite unfamiliar to most of our students (I heard the bomb sirens when meeting with her once). She often has to deal with unstable internet and inconsistent infrastructure. Robert worked with her every Wednesday for three consecutive terms via Zoom. It became a part of his routine.

Her thesis is incredible. She focused on informal and everyday leadership related to improving secondary education in Libya. Her ideas were so well developed and her data told an amazing story of people coming together to exhibit everyday leadership to enhance their children's experience and enhance their community in general.

Khalifa plans to pursue a doctoral degree eventually, though it is further down the line in my career, she said. I would like to teach undergraduates as well as continue to develop my theory on everyday leadership. The possibilities are a bit daunting right now, but I am looking at ways to expand the discipline here in North Africa, Khalifa said.

She wants people to recognize that leadership is not exclusive to formal organizations: I think too often heroismcan be conflated with everyday leadership, because people typically do not associate leadership with everyday people contributing to their communities on a regular basis.

Friends in the states often ask her why she doesnt just return home to the U.S., given the political instability and infrastructure challenges that continue in Libya.

I believe that working hard and doing everything that is in my power to survive and thrive is the only way to go through life, she tells them, in addition to emphasizing not wanting to live as a family divided. I do not believe in quitting. I believe in making the impossible commonplace.

Khalifa shared these additional reflections about her ASU journey.

Question: What was your aha moment when you realized you wanted to study organizational leadership?

Answer: The process was more trial and errorthan anything. As an undergrad, I meandered around the social sciences and tried out different disciplines while completing my degree requirements. I had taken an organizational leadership course; I liked it. I enrolled in another and liked that as well. The term after that, I pursued a minor in organizational leadership. The discipline manifested itself over time through getting to know more about what it entailed and how it is applied, more than a sudden realization.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: ASU was a good fit for me because the program I chose was completely online. I had received my undergrad degree from ASU and was happily surprised at the invitation from CISA when the masters program in organizational leadership began. It was an easy choice.

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: Ive learned so much more than just the coursework that I couldnt narrow that experience down to one person or lesson. The top three for me would be:

Q: Whats the best piece of advice youd give to those still in school?

A: Document as much as you can. You are learning for a reason. You will need these lessons in your future endeavors and will need to call on your past knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences. It is much easier to tap into that wealth of information when you leave breadcrumbs. If it seems important in the moment, write it down; you can always edit later. Just get it out of your mind and in a form other than your memory.Never be afraid to ask a reasonable question. Professors were students, and they care a lot more than students think; just dont wait until the eleventh hour.

Q: Did you have a favorite spot for studying?

A: I have studied just about everywhere you can imagine, but I dont have a favorite spot. I have a favorite device, stationary, cup of coffee. Its more about ambience for me than location. In general, I have a designated spot that I study in my home. This is to demarcate my time and focus so my children and spouse can pretend I am not in the same place as them for some time.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: I believe that solutions are proximal and that as humans we lead and are led because we are passionate about the person or the cause or both. Whatever be the case, we need to provide people with tools to muster the courage to act and share with them the knowledge of how to do so safely and sustainably. Tools without the knowledge to use them and knowledge without tools may mutually exclude themselves for lack of action. For me, the $40 million would translate to investing in Libya and North Africa in general. I would begin with increasing the economic opportunities for women in business in the MENAMENA, an acronym in the English language, refers to a grouping of countries situated in and around the Middle East and North Africa. region. This would be accomplished through grass roots advocacy campaigns that inform and invest in small businesses owned by women, while at the same time tapping into the power of professional successful women in business to provide mentorships and help change local and regional policies and perceptions of womens roles in business. The program, with the help of nonprofit NGOs, could grow from there, but the program must provide for the next level of women in business and not be a single event or period of time.

Originally posted here:
'Making the impossible commonplace': Expat in Libya earns 2nd ASU degree - ASU News Now

French coach of the Libyan national football team, Corentin Da Silva Martins, said, after arriving in Libya on Saturday in Benghazi to attend Al-Ahly Tripoli vs Orlando Pirates from South Africa in CAF Confederation Cup, he was preparing the Libyan national football team for qualifiers of AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast.

According to the Libyan Football Federation (LFF), the Frenchman watched several old matches for the Libyan team in World Cup qualifiers against Egypt, Angola and Gabon as well as matches in Mauritania tournament, let alone the CAF Confederation Cup matches for Libyan clubs.

The French coach began his tenure with sessions along with his assistant staff led by Omar Al-Maryami, to choose a list of players for entering training camps, which he said would be overseas; most likely in Egypt from 17 to 25 May.

Martins pointed out that during the upcoming camp, the Libyan team will play one or two friendly matches, saying that the camp will be limited to local players, explaining that the official announcement of the list will take place between 14 and 16 May.

"After the Egypt camp, we will go to a short closed camp in the city of Benghazi, in the presence of professional players, 4 days before the Libya match against Botswana. He said.

Regarding his objectives and ambitions with the Libyan national team, he said the first goal is to qualify for the finals of AFCON, especially since Libyas group includes Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea and Botswana.

I have information about them because I have previously played against them with the Mauritanian team."

Read more from the original source:
Libya coach says he aims to lead team to AFCON 2023 - The Libya Observer

I have seen it all with mixed feelings as with devastation, suffering and pain caused by the conflict in the most testing times of our history, I have witnessed audacity of our people to build back better and observed joy and hope that every newborn has brought to Libya and its future, says Hakima, 57, a midwife in Tripolis University Hospital.

Libya has been grappling with a deficient health system delivery as one of the outcomes of a long-lasting instability and uncertainty exacerbated further by COVID-19. However, during the gravest of the challenges, Hakimas story is a recognition of the invaluable services of many unsung heroes in midwives and nurses who came forward to provide essential reproductive health aid to Libyan people especially women, saving many precious lives.

Inadequate response to emerging needs

Nursing and midwifery as a profession is a social challenge in Libya but with our relentless services and results coming thereof, the communitys views have changed over the years. However, after the war broke out, the greatest challenge was to find trained midwives and nurses as the expat workforce left the country leaving behind inadequate numbers and capacities to meet the emerging needs. The situation was dire and along with the spike in mortality rate, many surviving mothers and newborns faced lifelong health challenges, Hakima recalled.

The health system in Libya suffers from severe shortages of health staff, supplies and equipment, compounded by years of under-investment and lack of maintenance. There was no comprehensive training programme for health staff especially nurses and midwives escalating the existing complexities manifolds.

UNFPA spearheads capacity building drive

Mr. Tahir Ghaznavi who is the Programme Specialist for Sexual and Reproductive Health for UNFPA Libya echoed Hakimas words, In last one-decade, Libyan health structure has faced immense shortage of resources to cope up the emerging needs for reproductive health. Considering this need and existing capacity issues, UNFPA with the support of the European Union launched a comprehensive capacity building programme for midwives and nurses in Libya. The programme is not only aimed at strengthening the existing institutional capacities but also to produce more midwives and skilled nurses with a focus on rational distribution of manpower across Libya so that the reproductive health needs could be fulfilled and sustained throughout the country for a long future ahead.

Results are already showing

In 2021 only, UNFPA has improved the capacity and resilience of health systems by building the service provision capacity of 860 frontline health care providers including 732 females, mostly midwives and nurses.

UNFPA offered training on different modules including the provision of minimum initial services package (MISP) to sustain essential SRH services in crisis, mother, and child health (MCH), HIV/AIDS, district health Information system (DHIS2) and leadership capacity building of health authorities and workers.

These trainings have helped us not only to learn best practices before, during and after the delivery but also to manage and programme our work streams in the most efficient and effective manner. With our improved capacities, we are not only busting myths, achieving better results but also training the younger generation of midwives and nurses coming into the profession, Hakima says.

Establishing solid footings for sustainable solutions

Along with the capacity building of existing staff, UNFPA is striving to establish a strategic and academic basis for the midwifery profession in Libya. With the support of the European Union and in close coordination with the Libyan Ministry of Health, UNFPA has helped establishment of Policies, technical guidelines for midwifery, SRH, clinical management of rape and protocols on referral pathways.

Similarly, UNFPA, along with the Ministry of Health, developed the first ever Midwifery and Nursing Policy and costed strategic plan and institutional framework to bring improvements in the nursing and midwifery profession for enhancing the quality of maternal, newborn, and adolescent reproductive health services. Furthermore, a National Policy and Strategic Action Plan 2022-2032 for standardizing Nursing and Midwifery Education in Libya has also been formulated. UNFPA is currently working with the Nursing and Midwifery Council to establish a regulatory framework and apply the revised standardized nursing and midwifery curriculum to education institutions in Libya.

The project is funded by the European Union.

Salman Khalid

Communications Analyst UNFPA Libya

Email: ksalman@unfpa.org

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Midwives: The unsung heroes of reproductive health response in Libya - Libya - ReliefWeb

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) demands urgent action over deaths at sea according to a report released by the agency on 29 April more than 3,000 people died or went missing attempting to reach Europe by Sea in 2021. Meanwhile, the latest period is marked by a series of deadly tragedies on the central Mediterranean and Atlantic routes.

Speaking of a new report released by UNHCR on deaths at sea in 2021, spokesperson Shabia Mantoo stated: Of the 2021 total, 1,924 people were reported dead or missing on the Central and Western Mediterranean routes, while an additional 1,153 perished or went missing on the Northwest African maritime route to the Canary Islands. UNHCR appeals for: meaningful alternatives to these dangerous journeys, and the prevention of people becoming victims of traffickers.

Meanwhile, the death-count on the Central Mediterranean route for 2022 is already at 550 according the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The civil rescue operator SOS MEDITERRANEE has published the testimony of a survivor rescued by its vessel Ocean Viking from a boat in distress in Libyan waters on 25 April. 12 lives were lost according to the rescue operator. After carrying out four rescue operations since 24 April the Ocean Viking had 295 survivors on-board including a one-year old baby. Despite numerous requests for a port of safety to disembark the Ocean Viking remained stuck at sea with survivors facing increasing psychological distress. After up to ten days at sea amid rough weather conditions, the 294 remaining women, children and men rescued in the central Mediterranean by Ocean Viking in four difficult operations are exhausted. Keeping survivors rescued from near-death at sea stranded on a rescue ship is disgraceful, SOS MEDITERRANEE stated on 4 May. The day after on 5 May the organisation finally confirmed that it had been assigned a port in Pozzalo. On 1 May MdecinsSansFrontires (MSF Sea) announced that its vessel Geo Barents had been assigned a port of safety in Augusta Sicily for 101 survivors including four children and a pregnant woman rescued in international waters off Libya on 23 April. The permission to disembark came only after days of waiting. On 4 May Sea-Watch announced that: 57 people have just been rescued by our crew. Onboard our United4Rescue alliance ship Sea-Watch 4, they now receive something to eat and drink, new clothes if needed, and medical care.

According to IOM more than 4,400 people have been intercepted and returned to Libya by the EU funded so-called Libyan Coast Guard, recently threatening civilian rescuers in international waters, in 2022 as of 23 April. Evidence of widespread and extreme human rights abuse in war-torn Libya, including crimes against humanity has been mounting for years and a recent testimony by a survivor is cooperated by MSF: We see a lot of them with actual physical evidence of violence, injuries that cause long-term problems, MSF doctor Mohammed Fadlalla told AFP, continuing: We commonly see bullet wounds, burns, evidence of electrocution, lots of beatings. EU cooperation with Libya has been critisised as complicity in human rights abuse and the civilian search and rescue operator, Sea-Watchrecently launched a lawsuit against the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) at the EU General Court in Luxembourg over the agencys refusal to release documents detailing its working relations with the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. Former director of Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri has resigned, reportedly as the result of increased scrutiny of the agencys misconduct and implication in human rights violations.

According to UNHCR the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands cost 1,153 lives in 2021 traffic on the deadly route has continued to increase in 2022. On 26 27 April at least 31 people lost their lives while attempting to reach the Canary Islands. Just 36 of 61 people remained afloat when Spanish rescuers from Salvamento Martimo arrived to a boat in distress 245 kilometers off the Canary Islands on 26 April one body was recovered and 24 believed to have died. Another six people from a boat in distress on the route carrying a total of 59 people were reported dead on 27 April. Further, Salvamento Martimo, that recently denounced the Spanish governments militarization of maritime rescues, has been involved in several rescues in the Strait of Gibraltar rescuing 39 people on 2 May and on the same day another person seeking to cross the strait on a fragile boat. Another death was confirmed on 30 April when the body of a man was found in the port of the Spanish northern enclave of Melilla. On 1 May it was reported that Spain has announced the continuation of the closure of the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla EUs only land border with Africa for another 15 days. The enclaves were first closed in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and remained closed during a diplomatic crisis in 2021 between Madrid and Rabat.

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This article appeared in theECRE Weekly Bulletin. You can subscribe to the Weekly Bulletinhere.

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Search and Rescue: UNHCR Call for Urgent Action over Deaths at Sea, Meanwhile Deaths Continue on the Mediterranean and Atlantic Routes | European...