On Sunday, the mayors of Libya’s southern municipalities held talks with the Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Claude Gakosso, and his accompanying African Union delegation in Sebha.
During the meeting, the attendees discussed efforts to achieve national reconciliation, and create a climate for simultaneous Presidential and Parliamentary elections in the country.
The meeting also reviewed the efforts made by the African Union, to reach a comprehensive solution to the Libyan crisis.
On their part, the mayors welcomed the AU delegation, appreciating the work undertaken by Gakosso in supporting and achieving national reconciliation in Libya.
In turn, Gakosso explained that Africa “has many successful experiences in this file. Achieving national reconciliation in Libya is one of the priorities of the African Union during the coming period.”
On Thursday, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily said that “since the postponement of Libya’s elections a year ago, little to no progress was achieved on the remaining outstanding issues,” adding that the “status quo is no longer acceptable.”
Bathily, alongside France, co-chaired a plenary session of the Security Working Group (SWG) meeting in Tunis. They focused on the upcoming steps in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, the reunification of Libya’s military institutions, and elections security.
The UN envoy said that elections “are of extreme importance to so many Libyans, who are tired of the delaying tactics employed by some of their leaders.”
Bathily added that nearly three million voters have registered for elections, demanding their right to choose their leaders.
Speaking on the withdrawal of foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries, he said the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) has achieved a level of “relative preparedness” with the Libyan Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanism “but political will and decisive actions are needed to launch the process.”
He said the JMC agreed to create the conditions necessary for the establishment of the ceasefire mechanism in Sirte “to enhance trust between the two sides, and move forward with the training of local monitors.”