The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, called on Libyan parties to abandon military operations, commit to a ceasefire throughout Libya and to engage in political dialogue under the auspices of the United Nations to reach a comprehensive and lasting settlement to the conflict.
In a statement released on Sunday, Aboul Gheit said “the Libyan people have suffered and are still suffering from the scourge of fighting, destruction, vandalism and division, whose repercussions have worsened over the last 14 months since the start of fighting around the capital, Tripoli, and the western parts of the country.”
The Secretary-General pointed out that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis, especially as all developments have showed the inability of any party to win militarily or impose unilateral solutions to achieve security or stability in the country.
He urged Libyan leaders to respond to efforts by the UN Special Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and calls by the international community to resume negotiations between the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA).
According to Aboul Gheit, such negotiations should run within the framework of the Joint Military Committee and lead to a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire that includes monitoring mechanisms under the umbrella of the UN.
The latter should be followed by an inclusive dialogue to reach an integrated settlement to the crisis through the UN’s three-point plan aimed at tackling security, political and economic issues.
Aboul Gheit also expressed his frustration at the increase in the scale of foreign military interventions in Libya, which he rejected and condemned in line with the various decisions previously approved by the Arab League.
He likewise stressed that it is not possible to reach any meaningful settlement without ending foreign interventions that fuel the conflict and contribute to the tearing up of the Libyan community.