National Transitional Council of Libya - World Model United Nations

to make major gains eastward, as they continued to
siege Misrata, captured more cities, and forced rebel
retreats.
On 17 March, the United Nations Security Council
adopted UNSC Resolution 1973, which demanded an
immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a nofly
zone in Libya. 94 Approved with 10 votes for and 5
abstentions, the resolution was welcomed by rebel
forces, who were struggling against Qaddafi’s forces
without foreign intervention. The next day, Moussa
Koussa, the Foreign Minister of the Jamahiriya,
declared that the Libyan government would abide by
the ceasefire and no-fly zone, despite his declaration
that the resolution would “increase the suffering
of Libyan people and [would] have negative impact
on the general life of the Libyan people” by helping
NATO airstrikes hit key loyalist targets, supported by UN Security
Council Resolution 1973.
rebel forces. 95 However, despite Koussa’s acceptance
of the ceasefire, that same day, government forces
continued to shell Misrata and other cities, and
ground forces continued to march toward Benghazi. 96
The Jamahiriya was clearly not abiding by the terms
of the ceasefire.
By 19 March, government forces had reached
and entered Benghazi, while artillery and mortars
bombarded the city. 97 that same day, foreign
intervention came as French jets destroyed loyalist
tanks and armored vehicles in the name of enforcing
the UN resolution. Later that day, UK planes also
targeted government forces, and the US fired Cruise
missiles into the nation, as Resolution 1793 allowed
“all necessary measures” to protect civilians from
Qaddafi’s forces. 98 The combination of foreign air
strikes against the loyalist forces, as well as tactical
maneuvering on the ground under forces led by
General Younis, led to government forces retreating
from Benghazi.
On 25 March, NATO forces took command
of enforcing the no-fly zone and the ceasefire,
essentially committing to help the rebels fend off
government forces. With the air support of coalition
forces taking out Libyan fighter planes and targeting
Libyan ground forces, rebels were able to make
quick gains westward, recapturing the major cities
of Ajdabiya and Brega by 27 March, and continuing
west. 99 Government resistance intensified to match
the rebel offensive, though major government
officials continued to defect – notably, Foreign
Minister Koussa defected to the UK on 31 March. 100
Despite NATO and coalition support, heavy fighting
continued for the next month, with neither loyalists
nor rebel forces gaining much ground. NATO forces
were unwilling to commit to ground support in
Libya, and as such, could only target obvious loyalist
forces from the air. Throughout most of April, heavy
fighting occurred in Misrata and Brega, with each
side struggling to gain any ground in the embattled
cities. Though the front lines of the rebel forces had
only numbered in the low thousands in March, rebel
forces continued to swell, allowing them to match up
to the Libyan Army, which had nearly 100,000 soldiers
before unrest began. 101
Near the end of April, NAtO forces increased their
efforts, providing military advisors to the rebels and
beginning continuous patrols with US unmanned
drones. 102 On 30 April, Qaddafi’s second youngest son,
Saif al-Arab, was killed in an air strike on Qaddafi’s
Bab al-Azizia military complex in Tripoli. Fighting
continued throughout May, with rebels slowly making
advances. On 15 May, rebels declared victory in the
three-month battle for Misrata, as loyalist forces fell
back from the city and rebels declared themselves in
full control of the city proper. 103 As May continued,
NATO forces intensified their air strikes in Tripoli,
and dozens of high ranking Libyan military officials
defected to the opposition. Asked for his reason for
defection, one officer replied: “killing, genocide […]
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