United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and United Kingdom, the lead co-chair of the Security Working Group on Libya this month, hosted a meeting in Tunis on Thursday to discuss the way forward in the security track, the continued implementation of the Ceasefire agreement and the reunification of the Libyan military institutions.
Chief of Staff General Abdulraziq Al Nadhouri, Chief of Staff General Mohamed Al Haddad, members of the Joint Military Commission 5+5, and ambassadors of the other Security Working Group co-chairs France, Türkiye, Italy and the African Union participated in the meeting, according to UNSMIL.
Special Representative to the Secretary-General and UNSMIL Head Abdoulaye Bathily, in his opening remarks, commended the military leaders for demonstrating patriotic spirit in all the meetings he has chaired inside and outside Libya. He also welcomed the participation and efforts of the Chiefs of Staff towards the unification of the military institutions, UNSMIL said in a statement on Friday.
“I would like to reiterate my appreciation to these leaders for their commitment,” he said. “If political leaders come together with the same spirit, the crisis in Libya would have been resolved a long time ago.”
SRSG Bathily urged all Security Working Group members to collectively support the implementation of national elections to restore legitimacy to Libyan institutions. The creation of a conducive security environment is key for the success of the process.
“We encourage the Libyan security institutions to continue working together for peace and stability in Libya and to enable an environment conducive for the holding of fair and transparent parliamentary and presidential elections in 2023,” he said.
In her opening remarks, SWG Co-chair, UK Ambassador to Libya Ms. Caroline Hurndall, welcomed the progress made by the JMC 5+5 since the last Security Working Group and the importance of building on this momentum to maintain and deepen Libya’s security.
“With the prospect of elections in Libya, ensuring a safe and secure environment is critical,” she said. “This will require all political and security actors to engage in constructive dialogues on election security. The international community stands ready to support Libya in these efforts.”
In subsequent working sessions, participants discussed the roles and responsibilities of and equipment for the joint military force that was agreed to be established in previous meetings. The meeting also covered the preparations required for the withdrawal of the foreign forces, fighters and mercenaries ahead of their return to their countries of origin, building on discussions held in Cairo last month.
The co-chairs emphasized the importance of national unity and maintaining Libya’s territorial integrity, and called for constructive support from the international community to the UN good offices.
The meetings were organized under the joint UNSMIL UNDP political dialogue project.