UN acting Libya Envoy Stephanie Williams warned on Wednesday that Libya is at "a critical juncture" as foreign powers flood the oil-rich country with weapons and coronavirus infections spiral out of control.

Since July 8, some 70 resupply flights landed in eastern airports in support of Gen. Khalifa Hifter’s Libyan National Army (LNA), while 30 resupply flights were dispatched to airports in western Libya in support of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), Williams told the UN Security Council.

During that period, nine cargo vessels arrived in support of the GNA and three in support of Hifter’s forces, said Wiliams, describing the arms buildup as a clear breach of Libya’s sovereignty. The stockpiling of advanced weaponry and equipment, she said, is also a violation of the UN arms embargo that has been in place since the uprising that toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

“Foreign sponsors are fortifying their assets at key Libyan air bases in the east and west,” Williams said, without specifying which countries. “The [UN Libya] mission continues to receive reports of a large-scale presence of foreign mercenaries and operatives, further complicating local dynamics and chances of a future settlement.”