On Saturday, the Tunisian President Kais Saied announced that he is set to kick off the official session of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) on Monday.
He affirmed that the intra-Libyan dialogue that Tunisia will kickstart on Monday “is an important and crucial step.”
The LPDF will be held under the auspices of the United Nations in Tunis, with the Tunisian government stressing that its role will be limited to hosting the talks and that it is committed to a position of neutrality between the rival parties in its neighbouring country.
Tunisia has completed the logistical and security preparations for the Libyan dialogue sessions. Tunisian coordination continues with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the countries sponsoring the Berlin Declaration.
Walid Al-Hijam, the spokesman for the Tunisian presidency, expected that “a historic agreement would end the crisis and demonstrate the positive and pivotal role of Tunisian diplomacy in the region.”
Meanwhile, Turkish media reports revealed the intention of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Tripoli in the coming days, with the aim of strengthening relations with the Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez al-Sarraj.
On the other hand, the “Al-Nawasi” militia affiliated with the Ministry of Interior of the GNA kidnapped on Saturday the passengers of a plane upon its arrival at Mitiga airport in the capital, Tripoli. The plane came from the eastern city of Benghazi. This incident reveals the continued incursion of militias inside Tripoli and their control on the ground, according to Al Arabiya channel.
On its part, the GNA’s Ministry of Interior denied it had any part in the kidnapping and condemned the arrest of citizens coming from the eastern region via Benina Airport to Mitiga International Airport. The ministry stated, “These acts are committed by a group of people (they did not name them) to serve their personal interests that do not represent the Government of National Accord, nor do they serve the public interest of the country.”