Since the beginning of this year, the international community has sought to bring about a ceasefire in Libya, and to go to negotiations to end the military conflict that Haftar began last April, and to contribute to establishing a political solution to the Libyan crisis.
A series of consultations, dialogues, meetings, conferences and mutual visits began, whether with the Libyan parties or between the countries concerned with Libya, until a vision was reached to launch a Libyan-Libyan dialogue in Tunisia early next November.
Berlin breakthrough
The first Berlin conference on January 19 was the first step of a political settlement, as the parties gathered there agreed to stop the support provided by some countries to the Libyan parties, and to lay down 3 tracks to solve the Libyan crisis, political, economic and military.
Switzerland is the second stop
Last September, a consultative meeting was held in the Swiss city of Montreux between Libyan parties, which recommended, in its final statement, to enter a preparatory phase that establishes a comprehensive solution, and to create conditions for holding parliamentary and presidential elections within dates not exceeding eighteen months, on the basis of an agreed constitutional basis.
Abozniqa … a continuation of the dialogue
This was followed by rounds of dialogue that were held in the Moroccan city of Abozniqa between the delegations of the Tobruk deputies and the Supreme Council of the State, which resulted in agreements to define criteria for assuming sovereign positions, and meetings of military leaders from both sides of the conflict in Libya in the Egyptian city of Hurghada.
In conjunction with the Abozniqa dialogue rounds, Germany and the countries concerned with Libya held the second Berlin conference, and reaffirmed the political solution in Libya and supported the outcomes of the first Berlin conference.
Comprehensive dialogue in November
The Acting Head of the United Nations Mission in Libya, Stephanie Williams, announced the resumption of the comprehensive “Libyan-Libyan” talks in Tunis early next November, based on Security Council Resolution No. 2510.
The decision to hold the forum, according to the mission’s statement, came after weeks of intensive discussions with the main Libyan and international parties, based on the progress made and the “consensus views” that resulted from recent consultations between Libyans.
The mission stipulated that the invitees participating in the forum should refrain from holding any political or sovereign positions in any new arrangement for the executive authority, noting that the talks generally aim to achieve a unified vision about the governance framework and arrangements, which will lead to elections in the shortest possible time.
The mission clarified that the mechanism for selecting participants in the forum will be from the various main components of the Libyan people, adding that it will conduct direct talks between the “5 + 5” joint military committee in Geneva in Switzerlandon October 19.
The mission confirmed that it would work to facilitate consultations between the delegations of the House of Representatives in Tobruk and the Supreme Council of State on constitutional issues in Cairo between “11 and 13” of October in Egypt.
Can the talks next November in Tunis be considered the beginning of a real dialogue between the Libyan parties, as a result of international pressure, or are they a continuation of previous meetings? Questions that will be answered in the coming weeks.
