Libyan MP, Rabia Aburas participated in the meetings of the fourth session of the Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FemWise-Africa), and the third Women’s Forum for Peace and Security in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
FemWise-Africa discussed taking advantage of the role of women in peace and security, to enhance female participation and leadership in peace processes throughout the continent.
Aburas shared some recommendations to support the role of women in peace and security, monitoring ceasefires, and capacity building. During the forum, the focus was on the status of women, and the role of Libyan women in peace processes, negotiations, and security.
Notably, he Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) , Abdoulaye Bathily stated that “youth and women in Libya are essential partners in the process of reconciliation, peace, and stability.”
In a thread on his Twitter account, Bathily noted that he had met with young Libyan men and women from across the country, representing the Youth Dialogue Forum. “I was impressed by the ideas they presented for the way forward in Libya, while talking about addressing the current political stalemate.”
The UN Envoy stressed the necessity of including youth and women in the political process, and contributing to building the future of Libya.
He reiterated that the path to achieving long-lasting peace, stability, and economic prosperity is through holding free, fair, and inclusive elections as soon as possible.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Moammar Gadaffi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who led the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.