Libya’s 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) is holding a two-day meeting in Paris. Chief of Staff of the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), Abdulrazzaq Al-Nadhouri and his counterpart Mohamed Al-Haddad, Chief of Staff in the Western Region are participating in the meetings.
On Sunday, the JMC members arrived in Paris, where they were received by Ambassador Khaled Kagigi, and several senior officials from the Libyan Embassy and military attaché in Paris.
The Libyan Ambassador expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the JMC members, praising their great efforts and achievements during the past period. He also commended their “strong will, seriousness, and determination to confront challenges with a spirit that reflects national unity, dedication, and common agreement to achieve stability, peace, and preserve the unity and sovereignty of Libya.”
Kagigi expressed hope that the meeting’s efforts “would lead to fruitful results in reaching a common ground towards achieving peace and stability in Libya.”
The JMC was established in February 2020, as part of the UN-led efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Libyan crisis. The committee includes five military officers from the western region, and five from the eastern region. They are tasked with overseeing the ceasefire agreement, and working towards a lasting peace in the country.
In March, the French Envoy to Libya, Paul Soler announced that the JMC would hold a meeting in Paris soon.
He added that the meeting “will be an opportunity to set clear goals for the military track, in order to achieve sovereignty and border security. As well as the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libyan territory.”
The French diplomat noted that France’s priority is “the security and peace of Libya and the region, and the restoration of full sovereignty for Libyans over their territories.”
He explained that France “exerts a great effort in supporting the military track, in cooperation with the United Nations Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Despite the fragile security situation in Libya, the interim ceasefire agreement of October 2020 is still holding.”
