EU 'welcomes' Intra-Libyan declaration for immediate permanent ceasefire

On October 22, the European Union (EU) backed the United Nations (UN) sponsored agreement for Libya’s warring sides to reach a permanent ceasefire with immediate effect. Welcoming the Intra-Libyan declaration, High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell Fontelles said that the ceasefire agreement reached after complex political negotiations is a turning point in the Libyan crisis. “EU will be there to support,” Fontelles said in a statement. EU Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Peter Stano, on the other hand, called the declaration a “welcoming announcement,” at a press conference.

In a ‘historic achievement’ the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) held the intra-Libyan negotiations in Morocco on 8 and 9 September earlier where, with Morroco’s initiative, Bouznika, the members of the High Council of State and the Libyan House of Representatives were brought to negotiation table that contributed to “timely peaceful resolution’ to the conflict. Later, the two Libyan delegations to the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) signed "a complete countrywide and permanent ceasefire agreement with immediate effect.”

"Prime Minister Serraj and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Saleh issued separate statements calling for a ceasefire, the lifting of the oil blockade, and a return to the political process. I welcomed these statements and called on all parties to engage constructively in an inclusive political process"—UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said in an official statement. 

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UN’s acting special representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Williams held a press conference, where she said, “Today is a good day for the Libyan people,” informing that an agreement was facilitated by the United Nations, and “we signed it, as witnesses.” An immediate permanent ceasefire and cessation of hostilities were reached across the war-torn North African country, she told the press. 

Departure of all mercenaries

According to a UN’s statement, the parties agreed to establish a mechanism to jointly monitor the implementation of ceasefire declaration, and to immediately start the identification and categorization of all armed groups and entities on the entire Libyan territory." This shall be accompanied by the departure of all mercenaries and foreign fighters from all Libyan territories, land, air, and sea, within a maximum period of three months from today," the UN envoy said in the UN’s statement, adding, all military agreements on training inside Libya shall be suspended.

The latest round of negotiation talks was held in Geneva in presence of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) and senior officers from the Libyan National Army (LNA). UNSMIL was also involved in the final stages of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum and will hold a virtual preparatory meeting on Oct. 26, followed by an in-person meeting in Tunis on Nov.9. 

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(Image Credit: AP)