Stephanie Williams, acting head of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), has called for sanctions against anyone hindering the Geneva peace talks.
“All parties are increasingly concerned about foreign interference, which has escalated since last year,” Williams said in press statements. She added that, “They need to take back the sovereignty of the country, and the way to do that is through elections.”
She pointed that many Libyans have asked her to impose sanctions on spoilers of the upcoming talks. Williams confirmed that they also demanded that any official participating in the Geneva talks, should be excluded from any position in the next government. This is to avoid faltering negotiations, over conflicts of interest.
Williams stressed the need for elections to be held as soon as possible, to create a “unified” executive authority. “The dysfunction has become so severe that there is an urgent need for change,” she said. “Frankly, there is a need for a unified executive authority if you want to move towards national elections, because you need a national government to prepare for the elections.”
Libya’s warring parties are set to meet in Geneva on 15 October to negotiate the appointment of a new Presidential Council. This is expected to consist of three persons, representing the historic regions of Tripoli, Barqa, and Fezzan.