On Wednesday, the Supreme Council of Libyan Tribes voiced its disapproval of the UN Support Mission in Libya’s (UNSMIL) peace initiative. This is over what it calls its “policy of marginalization and favouritism” in selecting the names of participants for the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).
In a statement, the Council accused UNSMIL of failure to pay regard to the real Libyan actors, who have social and political weight in the country.
The Council also highlighted the poor preparation and planning of the forum, which heralds a new failure for the political process in Libya. It criticized the dominance of Islamist groups in its list of participants and condemned the exclusion of national actors, and influential social groups. It alleged that UNSMIL had selected dozens of extremists, and even some well-known terrorists to attend the LPDF in Tunisia, thus disregarding the sacrifices made by the Libyan people in the face of terrorism.
UNSMIL’s invitation to nationals residing abroad, who “have no political or social presence at home,” was also denounced according to the Council’s statement. It stressed its rejection of the dialogue forum, adding that its outcomes would not be accepted.
The Supreme Council of Libyan Tribes also renewed the call for political dialogue under sincere, fair, and neutral auspices. It wishes that such dialogue be held with the participation of the African Union and friendly countries, especially Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria. According to the Council, this would help the Libyan people in exiting this crisis.
On Sunday, UNSMIL announced the names of 75 figures who will participate in the forum. This forum is due to be held in Tunisia, on 9 November. UNSMIL claimed that the participants are “from different cities and regions of Libya, and represent all political and social groups.”