Libyan MP, Rabiah Aburas confirmed that the 10-year strategic plan announced by the United States to resolve the conflict in Libya “is a constructive step towards supporting stability, leaving wars and conflicts, and addressing the roots of the crisis in Libya.”
In press statements, Aburas added that the plan “includes professional strategies at the political, economic, social, and security levels, in order to achieve the interests of local forces.”
She indicated that the US has “extensive experience in state building, resolving conflicts and civil wars, and has the ability to resolve the crisis. This 10-year strategy needs a high-level committee, such as that of the UN Envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily. This committee will determine the aspects of implementing stability and the localization of the democratic system of government that guarantees everyone the right to participate, especially after the faltering of trust between the Libyan parties.”
Aburas added that, “Elections alone are not sufficient for stability and state-building, but there is an urgent need for a steering committee to ensure stability, and establish a system of governance that supports the upcoming legislative and Presidential elections.”
Notably, US President, Joe Biden submitted to Congress 10-Year Plans aimed at implementing US strategies to prevent conflict and promote stability across six nations, including Libya, according to a statement issued by the White House on Friday.
The plan orients US efforts toward the ultimate long-term political goal that Libya is “governed by a democratically elected, unified, representative, and internationally recognized authority that is able to ensure human rights, deliver public services, promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, secure its borders, and partner with the United States and international community on shared priorities.”
However, the plan acknowledges the need for an “incremental, tailored, and scalable approach, given the current national-level political uncertainties, and practical limitations for US engagement and assistance within Libya.”
In the near term, the plan focuses on a “grass-roots, localized approach to support citizen-responsive democratic local governance, and nascent but promising locally-led reconciliation initiatives.” Southern Libya is the focal point of initial sequenced efforts which incrementally build toward progress in all three major regions of Libya, and ultimately through the critical sub-regions of the Sahel and Coastal West Africa.
The plan will focus over time on creating the necessary conditions to hold democratic elections over the longer term (e.g., citizen engagement, consensus-building, constitutional reform, violence mitigation, and reconciliation efforts). As well as addressing political roadblocks that have obstructed credible elections to date.
The plan will promote inclusion, seeking to increase the participation and representation of women, youths, and other groups traditionally marginalized and underrepresented in Libya’s polity. Fostering more inclusive political and economic processes in Libya will help build the resilience needed for longer-term peace and stability.
