2nd round of UN-hosted Libya talks ends in Geneva

GENEVA

The second round of the UN-sponsored talks on Libya between the warring sides ended in Geneva on Sunday.

“The two parties agreed to present the draft agreement to their respective leaderships for further consultations and to meet again next month to resume the discussions,” said the UN Libya Support Mission (UNSMIL) in a statement on Monday.

The Libyan Joint Military Commission (JMC) talks were in a 5+5 format with five representatives of the UN-recognized Government of National Unity (GNA), and five from the forces loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar.

The talks took place in the presence of Ghassan Salame, UN special representative and head of the UNSMIL.

“The JMC is one of the three tracks which UNSMIL is working on, in addition to the economic and political tracks, in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2510 (2020) and which calls upon the two parties to reach a lasting cease-fire agreement,” the statement said.

It also reiterated the call for strict compliance with the existing agreement and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure facilities.

Following an attack on the Port of Tripoli on Feb. 18, the GNA said it was withdrawing from the UN-hosted talks of the JMC in Geneva until a determined stance was taken against the violations by Haftar’s forces.

The commission said the port was vitally important for people to receive necessities such as food and medicine, accusing Haftar’s forces of committing war crimes.

Since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: Haftar in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.

Libya's legitimate government has been under attack by Haftar’s forces since last April, and more than 1,000 people have been killed in the violence.