TRIPOLI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based administration on Monday suspended all cooperation with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) over a funding agreement intended to support political dialogue and strengthen civil participation across the country.
The agreement, signed earlier in the day between Qatar and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), is part of the Libyan Political Dialogue Project, a joint initiative implemented by UNSMIL in partnership with UNDP. UNSMIL welcomed the agreement.
In a statement, the administration described the deal as a "serious breach" of international norms requiring UN missions to maintain neutrality. It said any external funding of political activities inside Libya without consulting Libyan authorities is "entirely unacceptable" and violates diplomatic conventions.
The administration called for an investigation and said it would not resume dealings with UNSMIL until the agreement is formally retracted and fully clarified. The statement added that no political initiative can be recognized unless it is purely Libyan and free from external influence.
The UNSMIL has yet to respond to the statement.
Libya has remained divided since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country is split between the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli and the eastern administration backed by the Libyan National Army under commander Khalifa Haftar. ■