The Libyan Parliament-designated Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha claimed that when he met with Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, he discovered that “Libyans, no matter how much they fight, can reconcile.”
In televised statements, Bashagha said that the “military establishment has made great strides and there is great consensus in the 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) to unify the army. There is security coordination at a very high level, and mutual visits between the eastern and western military leaderships, as well as the armed groups.”
He stated that the Central Bank’s “unification dialogues have come a long way, and will produce good results. There is also contact between the heads of the Audit Bureau in the eastern and western regions, and now they are in complete harmony and agreement.”
The Libyan PM noted that “there are steps taken to reconcile with the former regime. There are good steps, and the UN mission has become easier to work.”
“Unfortunately, when the Government of Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba came, it used money as a way to win loyalties,” he said. “If the international community removed its hand from Dbaiba’s government, all countries would welcome our government immediately. Whoever has more contact with the armed militias is the one who has control over the land. There were good steps in this file during the era of the Al-Sarraj government,”
Bashagha pointed out that “there are now contacts between the United Nations, in coordination with leaders in the east, and between militia leaders in the west.”
He explained that “some armed groups in the west played a role in maintaining security in the western region, and in Tripoli in particular. If there is a real national government, the situation of the armed groups can be reformed so that they become obedient to the state because there are transgressions that they commit.”
“I refuse to hold any Libyan accountable or imprisoned because he is from the former regime. Reconciliation requires that there be a general amnesty and that there be no political prisoners. If someone from the previous regime committed personal mistakes, he will be held accountable for them. The previous regime is a stage that ended, but its supporters are Libyans, and we must work together as Libyans. Dbaiba’s government is headed by the former regime, and there are a number of his ministers from the previous regime,” he stated.
He confirmed that reconciliation with the former regime began realistically. “Personally, I do not want any Libyan to remain in prison for political reasons.”
