On Saturday, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) announced it will facilitate direct talks between the delegations of the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) in Geneva, starting from October 19. The delegations are to be hosted by the Swiss government.
In its statement, UNSMIL stated that the talks of the Joint Military Commission will be based on previous deliberations and recommendations that emerged from a previous meeting held in Egypt. This refers to the Hurghada talks that took place from 28 to 30 September and were hosted by the Egyptian authorities, under the auspices of the UNSMIL.
UNSMIL said that the UN urges a complete cessation of all military manoeuvres and reinforcements in order to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement. This includes the establishment of a demilitarised zone in central Libya, as well as providing an appropriate space for constructive political discussions.
The mission welcomed the constructive political and material assistance offered by the members of the international community and the tangible contributions made by all of Libya’s neighbours to build confidence and consensus among the Libyan parties. It also said it looks forward to further engage with all regional and international stakeholders in moving the process forward.
UNSMIL also welcomed the renewed commitments by all participants of the 5th October ministerial meeting on Libya, co-hosted by the UN Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister of Germany.
The United Nations urges all Libyan political and military actors to demonstrate leadership by committing unequivocally to support this peace process.
The United Nations called on all Libyans to take full advantage of this window of opportunity to restore lasting peace, security, prosperity, human rights, and accountability for the Libyan people, who have endured years of protracted conflict and political fragmentation.