Libya rival government seeks UN explanation about its envoy after report raises bias questions
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Libya's Islamist authorities say they are shocked to learn the U.N. envoy to their war-torn country has accepted a job from the United Arab Emirates, which backs their main political rival, the internationally recognized government.
The Islamist-backed government's statement Thursday demands an explanation from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The statement says Bernardino Leon's hiring to lead a state-backed think tank casts doubts on the U.N. envoy's credibility, especially at a critical time when Libya's rivals are being urged to accept his proposals as neutral.
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The Guardian newspaper on Wednesday quoted an email from Leon to the UAE foreign minister saying he had a strategy to "completely delegitimize" the Islamist-backed government.
Leon told reporters Thursday that he sees no conflict of interest and that the proposed Libya peace agreement is unbiased.