On Sunday, the Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Abdoulaye Bathily met with Libya’s Justice and Construction Party President, Bennani to discuss a Libyan political settlement.
Bathily stressed the need for constructive dialogue involving all Libyan stakeholders, emphasising inclusivity.
Bennani assured full support and commitment from his party, and national allies for the UN-facilitated process, aiming at Libya’s stability.
Notably, the UN Security Council has announced a mid-month briefing in December, to discuss the current situation in Libya.
The meeting will address the latest report from UN Secretary-General, António Guterres focusing on political, security, and humanitarian developments.
This aims to support political momentum and the mediation efforts led by Bathily towards conducting national elections and forming a unified government.
The objectives include assisting in establishing a common political ground among competing Libyan governments, to agree on electoral laws.
The Council is likely to reiterate its call for Libyan stakeholders to engage in negotiations, for consensus on outstanding political issues.
On Saturday, Bathily announced that he has reached an agreement with Tunisia’s Foreign Minister, Nabil Ammar, emphasizing the urgent need for Libyan leaders to come together.
Their aim is to establish a unified approach to conducting elections, which will pave the way for peace and prosperity in Libya.
In a statement, Bathily expressed his gratitude to the Tunisian government for its pivotal support to UNSMIL, and for playing a significant role in promoting peace and stability in the region.
Last month, Bathily introduced an initiative aimed at resolving Libya’s political deadlock. He acknowledged that while the initiative faces considerable resistance, it is a critical step towards national reconciliation.
A key part of this initiative is the proposed meeting of five principal Libyan figures, essential to resolving the crisis. These are Mohamed Al-Mnifi, Head of the Presidential Council; Ageela Saleh, Speaker of the Parliament; Mohamed Takala, Head of the High Council of State (HCS); Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU); and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA).
This agreement signals a significant diplomatic effort towards bringing stability to Libya. Bathily’s collaboration with Tunisia reflects a broader international commitment to aiding Libya in its transition towards a democratic, and stable future.
The focus of this initiative is to create a consensual and inclusive path to elections, seen as crucial to establishing legitimate governance in Libya. This process is expected to bring together different political factions, addressing the divisions that have plagued the nation since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.