Arrangements for the first face-to-face encounter of the Libya Political Dialogue Forum to be held in Tunisia early November were at the centre of the discussions held Monday at the Carthage Palace between President Kais Saïed and Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNSMIL Stephanie Williams.
On this event, Williams notified the Head of State on the outcomes of the Berlin Conference on Libya held in January 2020.
She further gave him a summary of the preparations of the UN mission in anticipation for the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum to be hosted by Tunisia in early November.
This serves, according to her, “a real opportunity to achieve a breakthrough in the Libyan political process”.
Talking after the meeting, Mrs Willaims declared the resumption of consultations on the Libyan issue through the holding of an Intra-Libyan Political Dialogue Forum is one of the instructions of the Berlin Process.
Preliminary meetings will begin on October 26 through virtual sessions, after which face-to-face meetings will be held in early November in Tunisia.
In this regard, Williams revealed her gratitude to Tunisia for its support for the action of UNSMIL and its firm dedication to make this dialogue a success.
“The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum programmed to take place in Tunisia will discuss the essential preparations for holding, as soon as possible, Libyan presidential and parliamentary elections and establishing an executive branch capable of serving the Libyan people,” she said.
In this vein, she remarked that one of the recommendations received by UNSMIL following its consultations with several groups of the Libyan society is that current leaders will not run for the next elections (in a reference to the head of the Government of National Unity (GNA), Fayez al-Sarraj and Marshal Khalifa Haftar). This will be a condition for the resumption of the intra-Libyan dialogue, she said.
Williams also said the U.N. Support Mission in Libya will work from October 19 to aid talks between the two sides in the 5+5 Joint Military Commission, expressing hope that the talks will conclude with a decision on a permanent cease-fire in Libya.
She added that all conditions are now conducive to advancing the intra-Libyan dialogue, according to her, thanks to previous talks, including those held in Egypt and Morocco last September.
In this vein, she pointed to the sincere willingness of the Libyan stakeholders to achieve national reconciliation.
The UN envoy asserted that the intra-Libyan dialogue is an occasion not to be missed, calling on the international community to accept its commitments to respect Libya’s sovereignty and to support, by all possible means, this dialogue.
For his part, the President of the Republic embraced the successful summing-up of the consultation process between Tunisia and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya by the selection of Tunisia to host this important dialogue meeting.
“Tunisia is ready to mobilise all the human and material resources necessary to contribute to the success of this event,» he assured.
In this context, Said reaffirmed Tunisia’s position concerning the Libyan crisis directed at obtaining an intra-Libyan political settlement based on a comprehensive approach that preserves the unity and sovereignty of Libya, far from any foreign interference.
“Tunisia is not in contention with anyone; the goal is to find a peaceful settlement to the crisis in this brotherly country,” he said.
Tunisia will host in early November the first face-to-face meeting of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, UNSMIL announced in a statement issued last Saturday.
According to the same statement, Stephanie Williams, Acting Special Representative of UN Secretary-General and Head of UNSMIL announced the resumption of the intra-Libyan talks, following Security Council Resolution No. 2510 of 2020, which confirmed the conclusions of the Berlin Conference on Libya held on January 19, 2020.
The Head of State, who had received Stéphanie Williams, last September, stressed Tunisia’s readiness to contribute to reviving the political process by hosting a national dialogue bringing together the various Libyan protagonists.
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