Jan. 17 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United Nations envoy and head of the support mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Abdoulaye Bathily, has urged the Libyan authorities to commit to complying with the ceasefire agreement signed in October 2020 in Geneva.
Following a two-day meeting of the Joint Military Commission (JMC) which ended on Monday, Bathily has also called on the government to intensify its political efforts to end the stalemate as well as as to restore the legitimacy of Libyan institutions through elections.
Likewise, it has reiterated its support for “reunifying military and security institutions, withdrawing mercenaries and foreign fighters” with the aim of “preserving Libya’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity.”
“He also stressed the need to identify ways to involve neighboring countries to end the presence of these forces on Libyan soil. He called on the international community to support the JMC, which represents an instrument of hope for all the Libyans,” UNSMIL said in a statement on Tuesday.
During the meeting, chaired by Bathily, the JMC discussed a series of initiatives “to engage armed groups in order to create an enabling environment for sustainable peace and security in Libya, among other issues.”
The JMC meeting takes place in the middle of a huge internal crisis in Libya, which is again facing two parallel administrations, the one in Tripoli and the one in the east of the country, with Fazi Bashaga as prime minister.
The roadmap for the elections, initially scheduled for the end of 2021, is completely paralyzed and the security of the population is threatened by sporadic clashes between armed groups, particularly in areas close to oil fields.
