Mass Graves in Libya: Parties Involved and the Role of the UN

Home , Mass grave, Tarhuna

Contents

Contents ...... 2

Our Shadow Reports ...... 3

About us ...... 4

Mass Graves in Libya: Parties Involved and the Role of the UN ...... 5

Introduction ...... 5

Conclusion ...... 20

Recommendations ...... 23

References ...... 24

Our Shadow Reports International United Nations Watch (IUNW) produces regular short reports called “Shadow Reports” which deal with urgent issues about human rights violations and the role of the United Nations across the world. Topics dealt with in these reports are selected with great care, the emphasis being on issues and causes that require immediate intervention by the UN. As an organization monitoring the UN, we want to ensure that the global body, its organs and its specialized agencies are actively engaged in pursuing such issues. Therefore, we seek to act both as prompt and monitor in order to bring about remedial actions which would end abuses and protect the human rights of victims. In these reports, we seek to provide a diagnosis for issues of concern, drawing on background research plus supporting evidence as available. Only then, do we put forward recommendations for UN system agencies designed to promote change while ensuring UN member states act in accordance with the organization's founding principles and documented criteria and resolutions. Since the UN brings together all nations and internationally recognized NGOs from across the world, monitoring its activities is vital to ensure and, indeed, enhance its effectiveness, while holding it accountable. IUNW is committed to doing this as part of its mission to support multilateralism and promote shared international values based on respect for human rights and peaceful coexistence while also bringing about change.

About us International United Nations Watch (IUNW) is an international platform aiming to support and advance human rights standards, everywhere, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. IUNW brings together political campaigners, unionists, and human rights activists to promote, support, and advance human rights standards. That includes both civil and political rights, as well as economic social and cultural rights. To this end, the IUNW systematically monitors UN member states to ensure they adhere to standards of rights to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, defined by International Human Rights Law. IUNW also monitors UN organs and agencies to ensure that the principles set by the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are upheld and advanced at all times and to the same standard.

Mission To ensure that human rights standards are universal, binding UN members and UN agencies to the same expectations.

What We Do  Monitor human rights policy standards as upheld by member states  Monitor the work of UN institutions to ensure the application of human rights standards without prejudice and transparency.  Campaign in defense of human rights causes in line with our mission statement, building alliances with directly affected stakeholders and individuals, promoting the engagement of Civil Society in the work of the United Nations.  Conduct seminars and workshops with the potential to empower human rights activists or inform policy stakeholders and consolidate best-practices.  Support stakeholder consultation to monitor the application of human rights standards.

Contact us: International United Nations Watch PN: +447547282209 Email: [email protected] Address: 1 Burwood Place, London, W2 2UT, United Kingdom.

Mass Graves in Libya: Parties Involved and the Role of the UN

Introduction: After the forces of the United Nations-recognized Government of National Accord retook the city of Tarhuna in Libya, 90 km southeast of Tripoli, from the grip of retired general Haftar's forces, many reports emerged of the existence of mass graves in the city dug by the Haftar's forces before they left.

The Public Authority for Search and Identification of Missing Persons, a government agency affiliated with the National Accord Government, posted photos on its Facebook account of dead bodies that it said were buried in a mass grave in a farm. The Authority confirmed that ten bodies were lifted despite the discovery of "messing" with them, noting that it appreciates peoples grieve for their missing sons, but they have to help specialists, instead of extracting the bodies themselves.

In turn, the head of the Authority, Kamal Abu Bakr, said in a press conference that he had received a notification from the municipality of Tarhuna that there were mass graves, including bodies in garbage dumps, stressing that the coming days would carry more information. The Minister of the Interior of the Government of National Accord, Fathi Bashagha, visited the city of Tarhuna, confirming that extensive searches were conducted to find these graves and to identify the identities of the dead.

To whom did these bodies belong to?

In 2020, several media outlets close to the Government of National Accord reported that the majority of the dead were residents of the city. These sources blamed the al-Kani militia or the Kaniyat militia, a militia loyal to Khalifa Haftar, whose leaders were killed weeks earlier in the military operations. In 2017, this militia was known for its widespread killing. The militia was initially supportive of the GNA, but their relationship has worsened over time and when Khalifa Haftar announced his campaign to control Tripoli, the Alkaniyat joined in.

Bouraoui Bouzidi, General Supervisor of Tarhuna General Hospital, confirmed that more than 160 bodies were uncovered after the withdrawal of Haftar's forces from Tarhuna, according to Agence France-Presse, but he indicated that a number of bodies had been present in the hospital for many months. He did not reveal whether the bodies belonged to civilians or armed forces.

However, the media director of the Libyan Red Crescent, Bahaa Al-Kawash, told DW Arabic on June 12th 2020 that he believed the majority of the bodies in the hospital belonged to fighters belonging to Haftar's forces. Because Tarhuna Hospital was a destination for these fighters for treatment and placing the bodies of their dead during the battles, and after their retreat and the capture of the town by the GNA forces, they left the hospital with the bodies in the refrigerators. Al-Kawash added that it is possible that the bodies of the fighters were also found in other areas of the city, but he indicated that the Red Crescent in the city was not present in retrieving the bodies except in one cemetery, and it was difficult to identify the identity of the bodies from the beginning due to their decomposition. Al- Kawash added that the most reported missing cases were those of combatants, but it is difficult to talk about final conclusions on the matter due to the locality of mass graves in the country and the ongoing war conditions.

War crimes?

However, Ahmed Hamza, from the National Committee for Human Rights in Libya, said on June 12th 2020 that accusations against Khalifa Haftar's forces of causing these graves are true, as “there is an extrajudicial killing of civilians and prisoners of war in the city,” referring to the fact that more than 60 bodies were found in one of the sites of dead bodies of Haftar's fighters in Tarhuna Hospital that belonged to the GNA fighters. At the same time, bodies belonging to Haftar's fighters were previously found in hospitals in Tripoli too. Hamza explains that the purpose of each side's seizure of the bodies is to carry out exchanges in the future, as it happened more than once in battles in the Libyan war, under the patronage of the United Nations and the Libyan Crescent.

Hamzah noted to DW Arabia that the number of bodies in the city of Tarhuna outside the hospitals may exceed 200 which were found dumped in water wells. He stressed that the party that was controlling the city is the one that bears responsibility, as bodies were previously found in homes in areas in Tripoli controlled by the Haftar forces. The spokesman called for the formation of an independent international investigation commission to follow up on this issue.

What was special about the statement of the General Authority for Search and Identification of Missing Persons on June 12th 2020, Kamal Abu Bakr, as claiming the existence of great difficulties in collecting the buried bodies because some of them were booby-trapped, in addition to the presence of mines near these bodies to try to kill those who approach them.

On 22 June 2020, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, expressed deep concern over reports that mass graves had been found in Tarhuna, western Libya. In a statement, Bensouda said, "We have received reliable information of mass graves containing remains of men, women and children, which may constitute evidence of war crimes and crimes against

humanity." Bensouda also warned that she will not hesitate to expand her investigations and possible prosecutions to include new crimes, after the mentioned graves are found. The ICC Prosecutor emphasized that Libya remains a "priority" at the International Criminal Court.

She noted, "the International Criminal Court looks forward to cooperating with the Libyan authorities, the United Nations and all relevant partners working to investigate new evidence of possible atrocious crimes in Tarhuna." Bensouda also expressed her grave concern over the noticeable increase in the quantity and quality of the military equipment that has been recently deployed in the country, on the one hand, and the dangerous escalation of violence and the large numbers of civilian casualties on the other hand. Bensouda called on all parties and armed groups participating in the conflict Libya to fully respect the rules of international humanitarian law, and to take all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructures, including schools, health facilities and detention centers.

The Libyan government has condemned what it called military support provided by Egypt, the UAE, France and Russia to the aggression of the militias of retried General Khalifa Haftar against Tripoli, which began on April 4, 2019. With Haftar's militia retreat and losing all the administrative borders of Tripoli and most of the cities and regions in the western region to the Libyan army, Egypt recently put forward the so-called "Cairo Declaration to solve the Libyan crisis," but it was met with categorical rejection by the Libyan government and other countries. This came after the Libyan army achieved victories, most notably the liberation of the entire administrative borders of Tripoli, the city of Tarhuna, the entire cities of the West Coast, the Wattaya Air Base, and towns in the Western Jabal.

Calls of an urgent investigation

The Libyan Government of National Accord on June 16, 2020 officially requested the United Nations to help it investigate the mass graves that were found in the city of Tarhuna after it was liberated from the grip of retired Major General Khalifa Haftar. While the European Union called for an urgent investigation, the Libyan authorities began to pursue those suspected of involvement in these crimes.

The Government of National Accord sent a letter to the UN Security Council, asking it to refer the file of mass graves to the International Criminal Court. This came after the discovery of 11 mass graves containing about 160 bodies, and that confirmation of Libyan sources that many of the discovered bodies belong to civilians who were executed by the Al-Kani militia on suspicion of opposing it, and some of these bodies belong to prisoners of war.

Libyan sources confirmed that initial inspections show that many of the victims were buried alive, while others were shot dead. In the same context, the European Union called for an immediate investigation into mass graves in Tarhuna and for those responsible to be brought to justice.

On June 12th 2020, the High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy of the European Union Josep Borrell said in a statement that uncovering mass graves caused great discomfort, calling on the parties to the conflict in Libya to abide by their responsibilities in accordance with international law, and to reach consensus regarding ending violence and a ceasefire in the country. Earlier, senior members of the European Parliament called on experts to give the capabilities to investigate potential war crimes and human rights violations in Libya.

The Chair of the European Parliament's Human Rights Subcommittee, Maria Arena, and the head of the delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries Andrea Kozolino, expressed their deep shock at the discovery of mass graves in Tarhuna. For its part, Human Rights Watch called on Haftar's forces to quickly

investigate evidence indicating that fighters affiliated the forces had tortured, executed, and mutilated opposition fighters. In a report, the organization called on Haftar to hold his forces responsible for any war crimes they committed and promoted on the Internet, and indicated that the leadership of the forces ignores those crimes and that international and local courts should hold them responsible for complicity in committing these violations.

The Public Prosecution in Libya issued arrest warrants for twenty leaders of the Haftar militia that was in control of Tarhouna, on charges of committing mass murder in the city. The Public Prosecutor's Office published a statement in which it listed the names of those suspected of being responsible for the mass graves in Tarhuna, on top of them members of al-Kani who were running the city with an iron fist and suppressing any movement against Haftar's authority. The statement included the names of Muhammad Khalifa Al-Kani, Abdul-Rahman Al-Kani and Omar Al-Kani, in addition to 17 others.

The authorities are still investigating the fate of many disappeared persons who were detained in Tarhuna prisons. It is reported that the leaders of the al-Kani militia - who survived the recent operations of the NGA forces - took refuge in the eastern cities of the country, including Ajdabiya and Benghazi. Several Libyan parties supported calls for an international investigation to uncover mass graves in the city of Tarhuna, and some surrounding areas, in a development aimed at investigating similar crimes that occurred during the years following the overthrow of the regime of Colonel Gaddafi in 2011.

Many international parties got involved in the issue, which caused a state of sadness and anger among many parties in the country with demands for a speedy investigation being launched by many international parties, including the ambassadors of the United States, Germany and the Netherlands to Libya.

Al-Taher Al-Sunni, Libya's representative to the United Nations, took the case internationally, and noting: "Does the International Criminal Court need other evidence?" He asserted that all those found in these cemeteries died during the period of Haftar’s control of Tarhouna.

Faced with the "ugliness of the bloody scenes", after the burning of bodies, including children's, Libyan politicians, jurists and media professionals recognized the need to investigate this case "so as not to be added to the previous crimes and mass graves known to the past years and forgotten." In this context, Libyan journalist Bashir Zabia, editor-in-chief of Al-Wasat newspaper, said, "The mass graves file is not a purely internal affair ... It is a humanitarian issue that must be subject to an international investigation, and this does not cancel or contradict the role of the local judiciary." Whereas, Libyan human rights defender, Abdel Moneim Al-Horr, went on to say that "in armed conflicts, all parties sometimes turn a blind eye to the principles and purposes of international humanitarian law, but the crime remains a crime."

The Netherlands’s ambassador to Libya, Lars Tomers, described the finding of the mass graves in Tarhuna as a “horrific and unacceptable scene,” affirming his

country's support for the UN mission’s call for a “neutral investigation” about it. Ahmed Abdel Hakim Hamza, Reporter of the National Committee for Human Rights in Libya, said, "The amount of crimes that have been committed in Libya since 2011 until now, and the justifications that accompany these crimes predict a terrifying future awaiting us all."

Additionally, 36 bodies were found on the Al-Kassarat road between the cities of Al-Abyar and Benghazi (in the east of the country), and in July 2016, 14 bodies of people with handcuffs were found in a garbage dump in the vicinity of the Social Security Fund headquarters in Benghazi, as well. On July 14th 2020, military prison patrols in the city found 10 unidentified bodies, with signs of torture and bullets on them, in another area of the city.

In turn, the Director of the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, Philip Nassif, announced that work is underway to verify the mass killings. "We want to be able to enter, or for the United Nations to intervene, and to collect evidence of possible war crimes and other atrocities (...) so at the end of the day there is a process in which justice can be done," he said.

The local authorities in Libya have set up temporary camps, housing 3,180 displaced people in Ajdabiya, Tobruk, Bani Walid, Benghazi and other areas. they spoke of reports of looting and other grave violations in Tarhuna and Sirte, including reports of Tarhuna General Hospital being looted and most medical staff fleeing.

Suspects and arrest warrants

The Public Prosecutor of Libya issued an arrest warrant against 20 allies of retired Major General Khalifa Haftar, accused of being responsible for the mass graves found in Tarhuna, southeast of Tripoli, after the GNA forces took control of it. "The (Libyan) Attorney General issued an arrest warrant against 20 accused of committing mass grave crimes in Tarhuna (90 km southeast of Tripoli)," a statement published on the account of the "Borkan al-Rhadh" operation of the internationally recognized accord government.

The statement noted that the defendants who were ordered to be arrested are "the sons of Al-Kani who led a criminal gang that allied with Haftar's terrorist militia and mercenaries."

The Libyan Government of National Accord called on the UN Security Council to assume its full responsibilities in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, and to refer the matter of mass graves that were discovered in Tarhuna to the International Criminal Court. In a letter to the Security Council, Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala said that the number of mass graves in Tarhuna has reached 11 so far, some of their owners were buried alive, including children and women, in a terrifying scene that makes humanity unearthed.

On June 5, the GNA forces managed to take control of the city of Tarhuna, southeast of the capital, and revealed what it described as war crimes committed by Haftar's forces in the city. According to local sources, Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said that Abd al-Rahim al-Kani, who is suspected of committing war

crimes in Libya, received treatment in Germany for several years, most recently in January and February at the University Hospital of Bonn. The German newspaper stated that the International Criminal Court informed the Federal Prosecutor in Germany and the Federal Office of the German Criminal Police of his stay in Germany and the charges against him.

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court called on the German authorities to discuss the "options and investigation possibilities" available in the Al-Kani case, pointing to the existence of an arrest warrant against him by the Attorney General of the internationally recognized government in Libya.

The newspaper quoted the German Foreign Ministry as saying, "Alkani obtained a visa to enter Germany in 2017, but with a passport holding a different name." After that, he managed to continue entering the country with a residence permit issued for cancer treatment. While attempts by " " to reach Alkani in Libya, to which he was able to return in mid-February, failed, the German authorities, the International Criminal Court and Bonn University Hospital refused to comment on the matter.

According to the newspaper, Abd al-Rahim al-Kani, along with four of his brothers, formed and led a private militia in the city of Tarhuna, and this militia is suspected of committing murder, torture and kidnapping of the civilian population in the town which is about 65 km from the capital, Tripoli. The militia that fought alongside Haftar's forces are accused of firing into residential areas in attacks on the capital and elsewhere. The United Nations Human Rights Council sat up a commission of inquiry, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres demanding "a comprehensive and transparent investigation be conducted, and the perpetrators brought to justice."

The United Nations role

Arabic tried to communicate with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, but a source from it confirmed that no other data has yet been reached other than what was stated in the mission's statement which expressed its dismay "at the circulating reports about the discovery of eight graves in Tarhuna, and through it, it called on the authorities to" conduct real and impartial investigations."

In this context, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, expressed "severe shock" at the discovery of many mass graves in Libya, most of them in Tarhuna, and called for a "comprehensive and transparent investigation" to be conducted and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. In a statement, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that the Secretary-General was "deeply shocked by the discovery of multiple mass graves, most of them in Tarhouna," calling for "an investigation and the perpetrators brought to justice."

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (Ansmel) said it was "following with great concern" the "extremely horrific" reports of the discovery of at least eight mass graves during the past days, most of them in Tarhuna. It explained that "according to international law, the authorities must conduct a prompt, transparent and effective investigation into committing extrajudicial killings."

In his statement, the UN Secretary-General specifically requested the authorities "to protect mass graves from tampering, to identify the victims, to determine the cause of death and to return the bodies to their families." He declared that the United Nations had offered support in this regard and reminded all parties to the conflict in Libya "of their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law." He also reiterated his call for "an immediate end to the fighting in Libya in order to save lives and end the suffering of civilians,

welcoming the resumption of the work of the Libyan Joint Military Committee and expressing his hope for an agreement on a ceasefire soon."

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, confirmed that the Libyan authorities requested the assistance of the UN mission in the country to investigate the mass graves that were discovered in Tarhuna (80 kilometers southeast of Tripoli) after they were recovered. He also said that the UN mission is in contact with the Libyan authorities to determine what kind of assistance it can provide for the investigations.

The Chairperson of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, Maria Arena, the Head of the Delegation for Relations with the Maghreb Countries, and Andrea Kozolino announced their support for the call of the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, for an independent investigation into this matter under the patronage of the United Nations, as well as the calls for the start of a meaningful political dialogue and an end to impunity and the establishment of justice in Libya, and support for civil society organizations and local authorities.

Bensouda also praised the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council, on Monday, to send an "investigation mission" to Libya that is tasked with documenting the abuses committed in this country since 2016.

A group of African countries presented at the United Nations a resolution to send an investigation mission to Libya within the framework of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council, but the countries were unable to discuss it due to the pandemic which forced the United Nations to suspend the session. The

resolution was adopted, without voting, after resuming discussions of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations, following the easing of restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The United Nations Human Rights Council, on June 22, 2020, took a positive step towards accountability, by establishing a fact-finding committee to investigate violations by all parties in Libya," Human Rights Watch said. The "African Group" at the Human Rights Council presented a resolution during the 43rd session of the Council, in which it called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to dispatch a fact-finding mission immediately to investigate violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by all parties to the Libyan conflict since the beginning of 2016. The request also includes that evidence should be preserved to ensure that those responsible for violations are held accountable.

"Establishing a fact-finding mission on violations in Libya is a warning to warlords and armed groups that they can be held accountable for the serious crimes committed by their bodies. What is important now is for states to act in a council to ensure that this new committee receives the necessary support and the necessary renewals after its first term of one year to fulfill its tasks," said Eric Goldstein, Acting Director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch.

Conclusion: Governance in Libya is still divided between the two entities involved in an armed conflict since April 2019: The internationally recognized "Government of National Accord" based in Tripoli, and the rival "Interim Government" based in eastern Libya linked to the armed group known as the "Libyan Arab Armed Forces." The rival government has received military support from the UAE, Russia, and political support from France. Its forces include fighters from Sudan, Chad, and Syria, and from a private military company linked to the Kremlin. Turkey is the GNA’s main military supporter

With the end of armed confrontations in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and the surrounding areas on June 5, 2020, with the withdrawal of the armed forces, the conflict continues in Sirte, 450 kilometers east of the capital, and in other parts of the country. The arms embargo approved by the UN Security Council in 2011 remains in effect, but no party has been punished for violating it.

Violations of the laws of war by the armed forces and associated foreign forces have been documented, including disproportionate and indiscriminate artillery bombardment, airstrikes and drone strikes that have killed and injured hundreds of civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure. The forces have also used cluster munitions, landmines and internationally banned booby traps in the southern suburbs of Tripoli.

Torture, field executions, and mutilation of the corpses of fighters were also documented by these fighters. There are recent reports that at least eight mass graves have been discovered in the town of Tarhuna, southeast of Tripoli, and other sites on the outskirts of Tripoli contain an unknown number of bodies. The Government of National Accord confirmed reports that at least 160 bodies have been discovered in Tarhuna General Hospital, some of which may have been victims of war crimes. Tarhuna was under the control of the al-Kani Militia.

"Insufficient domestic and international efforts to secure accountability for serious past and ongoing crimes in Libya have encouraged those who participated in the armed conflict to commit violations and abuses with impunity," Human Rights Watch said. The Human Rights Council ended a previous commission of inquiry into Libya in 2012. The High Commissioner for Human Rights established another investigation into Libya in March 2015, and this investigation concluded its work in January 2016.

The International Criminal Court, which has a mandate to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Libya since 2011, issued a warrant in 2017 and another in 2018 for the arrest of armed forces commander Mahmoud Al-Warfalli, but he is still free. Al-Werfalli should be immediately handed over to the court. There were no other public warrants for crimes committed after 2011. The newly established fact-finding mission should cooperate with the International Criminal Court in its ongoing investigations.

"The new commission of inquiry is an important step toward addressing total impunity for violations and abuses in Libya," Goldstein said. "Although the commission has a lot of work, it should strive to identify those responsible for the violations, including external actors, and to preserve evidence wherever possible for future criminal proceedings and publicly report on the human rights situation in Libya."

Recommendations 1. The IUNW calls for launching an investigation against the UAE and Russia for their involvement/role in these atrocities, imposing sanctions on individuals and states which have supported those responsible for these crimes. 2. Countries that advocated the removal of the Colonel Gaddafi regime and have directly prompted the removal of the old regime, i.e. the UK, France and US should do more to make Libya more stable and investigate mass graves in the country, 3. The international community should stop "abandoning Libya" and it calls for immediate interventions as it recommends sending UN inspectors to oversee the excavation of the mass graves.

4. International arms embargo violations on Libya should be stopped where since the beginning of 2020, eight countries were caught breaching the embargo. Besides, the United Arab Emirates and Russia were found to have sent five cargo aircrafts filled with weapons to Libya on 19 January 2020, when the world leaders were signing a pledge to respect the arms embargo on Libya, at the Berlin conference. These countries should cease doing so immediately. 5. The international community should bring war criminals responsible for mass graves in Libya to trial.

6. All countries supporting militias and mercenaries such as the UAE and Russia should stop doing so immediately.

7. The international community should impose a full embargo on Libya to make sure that arms are not suppled to the warring parties.

8. The United Kingdom should stop its arms sales to Libya, as between 2008 to 2017, a total of 284 arms licenses were approved by the UK to Libya.

References:

1. The IUNW calls for launching an investigation against the UAE and Russia for their involvement/role in these atrocities, imposing sanctions on individuals and states which have supported those responsible for these crimes.

2. Countries that advocated the removal of the Ghadafi regime and have directly prompted the removal of the old regime, i.e. the UK, France and US should do more to make Libya more stable and investigate mass graves in the country

3. The international community should stop "abandoning Libya" and it calls for immediate interventions as it recommends sending UN inspectors to oversee the excavation of the mass graves.

5. The international community should bring war criminals responsible for mass graves in Libya to trial.

6. All countries supporting militias and mercenaries such as the UAE and Russia should stop doing so immediately.

7. The international community should impose a full embargo on Libya to make sure that arms are not suppled to the warring parties.

8. The United Kingdom should stop its arms sales to Libya, as between 2008 to 2017, a total of 284 arms licenses were approved by the UK to Libya.