The UN Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily held a meeting with Major General Osama Juweili, the Commander of the military zone in the western region, in Al-Aziziyah.
The discussions centered around the current political and security situations in Libya, emphasizing the urgency for leaders to address the people’s demands, and break the current deadlock.
Bathily highlighted the importance of a unified response from leaders to meet the aspirations of the population. The need for concerted efforts in resolving political and security challenges was a key focus of the meeting.
Major General Juweili and his military officers assured Bathily of their dedicated efforts to play a positive role in unifying military institutions. They underscored their commitment to border security initiatives, and advocated for the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of armed groups.
According to Bathily, there was a clear commitment expressed towards ensuring the security of the electoral process. They acknowledged the critical role of transparent and secure elections, in steering the country towards stability and prosperity.
On Monday, the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, received Bathily in Benghazi.
The meeting was held to discuss the latest political developments. Bathily mentioned that he had consultations with Haftar, addressing the latest political situation with depth and candour.
He added that they had agreed on the necessity of addressing all issues related to the political process, and facilitating elections in the near term.
He highlighted that Haftar expressed his support for the current efforts being exerted. As well as elaborating on his ideas regarding ways to ensure the success of the preparatory meeting for key stakeholders in Libya.
Last week, Bathily affirmed the need for political leaders to create enabling conditions for Libyans to elect legitimate and accountable institutions.
This statement came during his meeting with the President of the Libyan National Women’s Council, Leila Al-Swaisi, and several members.
These consultations are part of his efforts to engage with all Libyan components and parallel initiatives to bring political factions together for a political settlement paving the way for elections.
Bathily urged political leaders to align their positions with the Libyan people’s commitment to unity, peace, and stability.
He highlighted the criticism raised during the meeting regarding the insufficient representation of women at all levels, with calls to empower Libyan women for meaningful political participation.
The participants welcomed his call for dialogue among key actors, committing to submit written contributions to ending the political deadlock in the country.