On Tuesday, the United Nations Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), headed by Stephanie Williams, said that the round of face to face security and military talks, held in the Egyptian coastal city of Hurghada, have come to end. The talks have given way to a set of important recommendations.
The talks were held between security and military Libyan delegations representing both the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army (LNA) in Egypt for two days under the auspices of the United Nations.
In a statement, UNSMIL pointed out that the dialogue was characterised by a spirit of transparency and mutual confidence, noting that participants have discussed a number of urgent security and military issues. These issues include the security arrangements in the country that will be determined soon during the Joint Military Commission 5+5 meetings. Additionally, the responsibilities of the Petroleum Facilities Guard and ways to secure oil facilities have also been discussed.
The most important recommendations of the Libyan military talks are as follows:
• Expediting the holding of the 5+5 joint military Commission direct meetings during the next week.
• The immediate release of all identity-related detainees, without any conditions or restrictions, and taking urgent measures to facilitate the exchange of detainees due to military operations before the end of October by forming specialised committees.
• Halting the media war and hate speech and replacing it with the speech of tolerance and reconciliation in the face of violence and terrorism.
• Speeding up the establishment of air and land transport lines to ensure freedom of movement for Libyan citizens among all Libyan cities.
• Referring all security arrangements to be discussed during the 5+5 Joint Military Commission meetings.
UNSMIL also extended its deep gratitude to the Egyptian government for making these important talks possible and for its generous hosting of the delegations. “We also extend our thanks to the two delegations who have demonstrated a positive and proactive attitude aimed at de-escalation of the situation in central Libya,” the UNSMIL statement read.