Libya's representative to the United Nations, Taher El-Sonni, said on Monday that the Government of National Unity objected to the nomination of Senegalese diplomat Abdoulaye Bathily for the position of UN envoy to Libya.

El-Sonni, in a statement from United Nations headquarters in New York, called for the need for deep and serious negotiations with the Libyans regarding the new UN envoy, in order to ensure that work with the UN mediator will be successful.

He spoke of difficulty in appointing a special envoy to Libya during the last period, due to a lack of consensus within the Security Council, which led to the passage of eight months without being able to fill this position.

El-Sonni added that the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, had nominated former Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum for the post of envoy, but did not obtain unanimity.

Guterres then proposed the name of former Senegalese diplomat Abdoulaye Bathily, to which the Government of National Unity objected.