Miral Sabry Al Ashry
The UN Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily and France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, discussed political and security developments in Libya to stressed the importance of supporting a Libyan-Libyan process to facilitate inclusive, transparent elections in 2023.
The Libyan Joint Military Committee “5 + 5” met in Egypt under the auspices of the United Nations, with the participation of the UN envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, and representatives from Libya and neighbouring countries (Sudan, Chad, and Niger), to discuss the plan to remove mercenaries and foreign forces from the country, as well as the militia crisis, in order to achieve peace and stability in Libya.
The Joint Military Committee confirmed the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, and the steps it took to activate the action plan signed in Geneva in October 2021, under the auspices of the United Nations Mission in Libya.
Pointing out that the security track is an important pillar for paving the way for establishing a favourable political and economic environment Also, the last meeting of the Military Committee, which was held on January 15-16, made progress, including the nomination of members of the Libyan Communication Committee; to enable them to work hand in hand with their counterparts from Sudan, Chad, and Niger.
Bathily added that they will establish an office for coordination and follow-up on the exit of mercenaries from Libya, stressing the need for speedy and timely implementation on the ground, and that they are also seeking to calm the situation in Libya.
While the heads of the Sudanese and Nigerien delegations Participants at the JMC meetings said they would be supportive with information and analysis to implement the mechanism to achieve peace in the region, pointing out several important decisions.
Bathily noted that the next meeting would be held in southern Libya to discuss ways to remove mercenaries, indicating that important decisions had been taken at the Egyptian meeting regarding the mercenaries’ file, specifically with Sudan, Chad, and Niger, and that the armed forces in Libya are ready to support the political process.
Furthermore, he emphasised the importance of the international community assisting the JMC by sending local monitoring teams, as well as the possibility of completing their work in Sirte in time for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the politicians’ commitment to bringing the country out of the current crisis.
After that, Bathily attended the Sirte meeting to work between the international ceasefire monitoring team and Libyan monitors on the JMC’s plans to engage leaders of armed groups with UNSMIL’s facilitation in support of sustained peace and stability, believing this will accelerate solutions to the political crisis, which is the importance of the security track in paving the way for a conducive political environment, and he further encouraged the JMC to move forward with implementing the ceasefire agreement.
Further, the Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) approved the 13th constitutional amendment that is related to defining the powers of the president and prime minister and the competencies of the legislative authority, and according to that, parliamentary elections were approved. The constitution is established by the National Assembly, which consists of the House of Representatives’ headquarters in Benghazi, and the Senate’s headquarters in Tripoli.
In addition, an executive authority consisting of a president elected by the people, and a government whose head is appointed by the head of state and granted confidence by the House of Representatives.
This two-step process was very important now that, due to the current political impasse, all parties should be involved to end the conflict, make a deal with it, and start the elections as soon as possible without depending on abhorrent personal selfishness from the two governments or foreign intervention.
Foreign intervention is the closest way to restore Libya, get out of the vortex of transitional stages, and remove all foreign forces from the country as soon as possible.
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Miral Sabry Al Ashry is an Associate Professor at Future University (FUE), Political Mass Media Department.
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