STACO President at Human Rights Council
September 23, 2025 | Geneva, Switzerland – Human Rights Council
“Sheikh Al-Taher Al-Zawi Charitable Foundation” President at Human Rights Council: Landmines in Libya Are an Open Wound Threatening Our Present and Future
Engineer Salem Al-Qamoudi, President of the Sheikh Al-Taher Al-Zawi Charitable Foundation, delivered a powerful statement before the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, highlighting the grave humanitarian challenges posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war in Libya.
Al-Qamoudi explained that decades of conflict since World War II have left behind nearly 20 million landmines and explosive devices scattered across Libyan territory. These remnants have claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, injured many others, and contaminated vast areas of land, hindering agriculture, development, and safe living conditions.
He recalled the recent tragedy in the city of Waddan, where on November 10, 2024, a landmine explosion killed Ahmed Misbah Al-Koum, a father of six daughters, and injured four others. He stressed that such incidents are a stark reminder that “landmines are not remnants of past wars, but an open wound threatening our present and our future.”
Al-Qamoudi emphasized that the absence of accurate maps of minefields remains the greatest obstacle to clearance operations, describing demining efforts as “searching in the dark.” He called on the United Nations and the international community to exert real pressure on all parties to disclose, fully and immediately, all information regarding minefield locations in Libya, stressing that doing so is not a choice but a legal obligation and a moral responsibility under international humanitarian law.
In conclusion, he reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to protecting civilians, advocating for victims, and working with international partners to promote peace, safety, and human rights in Libya.
