The EU Ambassador to Libya, Nicola Orlando, announced on Monday the outcomes of the meetings held in Tripoli on Sunday between European ambassadors to Libya, and key Libyan figures. The meetings involved Mohamed Al-Mnifi, Head of the Presidential Council; Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU); and Abdoulaye Bathily, the UN Envoy and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
Orlando stated that the meetings “underscored a joint commitment to support UN efforts in convening a meeting among the five principal Libyan parties, and engaging relevant stakeholders towards elections.”
Bathily called on the parties to “engage in preparatory dialogue for a pentapartite summit.” These include Ageela Saleh, Speaker of the Libyan Parliament; Mohamed Takala, Head of the High Council of State (HCS); Khalifa Haftar, Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Dbaiba, and Al-Mnifi.
During his meeting, Al-Mnifi emphasized the Presidential Council’s readiness to play a conciliatory role in advancing the political process, and endorsing any efforts that garner consensus and lead to elections. Dbaiba welcomed Bathily’s invitation, acknowledging it as part of international efforts to conduct elections under fair and transparent laws, but he expressed opposition to transitional phases, as per separate statements from the Presidential Council and the government.
Orlando also noted an agreement with Al-Mnifi, Dbaiba, and Bathily on effective border and migration management based on human rights, and a unified national platform for reconstruction and development post-floods.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December 2021, and the refusal of Dbaiba to step down.