Encouraging progress in Libyan situation

The situation in Libya has seen encouraging progress as rival factions are set to participate in their first face-to-face talks inside the country.

A general view of the talks between the rival factions in the Libya conflict at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland October 20, 2020. (Reuters)
A general view of the talks between the rival factions in the Libya conflict at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland October 20, 2020. (Reuters)

The international community hopes that positive strides on the negotiating table will help open up a political roadmap towards stabilising the situation and restoring “black gold” production activities in the oil powerhouse nation.

The meeting, expected to take place in Ghadames, located some 465km southwest of Tripoli, marks a turning point in both politics and the battlefield of Libya as the two participating sides all show their determination to enforce a permanent ceasefire. This is the first face-to-face talks held in Libya since the self-declared Libyan National Army (LNA) forces, commanded by Khalifa Haftar, launched an offensive in April 2019 in a bid to capture the capital Tripoli. Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Stephanie Williams welcomed the warring sides’ initiation of discussions on the implementation of the ceasefire, in the context of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the LNA having achieved progress on the negotiating table.

Along with the ceasefire, the situation in Libya has witnessed significant changes in recent times, with factions choosing dialogue instead of confrontation. The cessation of fighting has created conditions for ending the blockade of oil exploitation facilities and the reopening of traffic routes. Many Libyans have been able to return home after a long period of exile seeking refuge due to the conflict. Oil production activities have been resumed expecting to promptly rejuvenate Libya’s oil and gas industry, with initial production of about 800,000 barrels per day.

After falling into a complicated civil war since 2011, Libya has been deeply divided with the formation of two major forces, the UN-recognised GNA backed by Turkey and Qatar, and the LNA supported by Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Under the UN’s mediation efforts, the long-term ceasefire agreement for Libya, reached after recent talks in Geneva (Switzerland), is expected to help put an end to the conflict between the factions, as well as outside interference in the Libyan situation. The UN Security Council approved the ceasefire and called on the parties in Libya to fully implement their commitments. The UN stressed that forces in Libya as well as other countries involved in the Libyan war must comply with the UN arms embargo on Libya.

Talks between representatives of various peoples and ethnic groups in Libya were also initiated, marking an important step towards the organisation of a general election. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said that the recent virtual dialogue attracted the participation of representatives of the two rival parliaments, social activists and representatives of the female community. Delegates in attendance hail from many different constituencies, representing all segments of society, fair in terms of geography, ethnicity, politics and society. According to UNSMIL, the current UN-mediated political dialogues will pave the way for the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, scheduled to take place this month in the Tunisian capital of Tunis. UN officials stressed that the dialogues should have a clear focus, which is to prepare for the national election to be held as soon as possible. The UNSMIL urged all parties to shoulder responsibility before the people of Libya and engage in the talks in a constructive and reliable fashion, with the goal of protecting the national interest. The UN has also called on the international community to urge the factions in Libya to take advantage of the current opportunity to conduct further negotiations, while terminating external interference in the Libyan situation.

The international community hopes that the aforementioned positive steps forward will create momentum to encourage the factions in Libya to promptly settle their disputes, put the national interest first, protect territorial integrity and unite to promote a political transition process, towards fair elections with the hope of bringing Libya back on a trajectory of stability and development.