On Thursday, the European Union Ambassador to Libya, Jose Sabadell said that he is proud to support the security of Libya’s Coastal Road, in order to contribute to the stability and unity of Libya.
Sabadell’s remarks came after the Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General (SASG) for Libya, Stephanie Williams headed to the city of Sirte via the Coastal Road. This is to meet with the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC).
The talks aim to discuss the latest political developments ahead of the Presidential elections, which are scheduled to be held on 24 December.
This follows a meeting attended by Chief of Staff of the western-based Army, Major General Mohamed Al-Haddad, and the designated Commander in chief of the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), Lieutenant-General Abdulrazek Al-Nathouri, on Saturday in Sirte. The meeting was the first of its kind between the two parties after a number of positive meetings, which brought together military leaders in the Shwerf region.
Notably, the JMC engaged in several rounds of talks with Turkey and Russia, as part of its efforts to expel foreign forces and mercenaries from the country.
Libya’s JMC was formed in 2020, and is one of three tracks in the UN-backed settlement process; namely political, military, and economic. It is meant to ensure the withdrawal of all foreign fighters from Libya, after tens of thousands of mercenaries and foreign fighters were brought to the oil-rich country by rival powers.
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres announced the appointment of Williams as his Special Adviser on Libya on 6 December.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said Williams will lead Guterres’ good offices, mediation efforts, and engagements with regional and international stakeholders. This is to implement the three intra-Libyan dialogue tracks, and support the holding of Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Libya.