Libya Election Momentum Grows in Tripoli Talks
Despite a great deal of scepticism about the possibility of elections in Libya to find a new president, all of the major players recently turned out for a meeting which was supposed to hammer out an agreement to hold them this year.
The 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC), in the presence of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Libya, organized in Tripoli on March 26th a meeting between commanders of the military and security units in the western, eastern, and southern regions.
The meeting was the largest of its kind in Libya in a decade, Reuters reported.
In a statement the following day the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said the meeting aimed to follow up on the pledges made by participants at a similar meeting that was held in Tunis in mid-March on preparing to hold elections this year.
The mission said Sunday’s talks “focused on the role of the military and security institutions in providing a conducive environment for advancing the political process and holding free and fair elections during 2023.”
Head of the UN mission Abdoulaye Bathily called on all commanders in the western, eastern, and southern regions to consolidate peace in Libya.
The commanders of security and military units will play a significant role in agreeing on security arrangements and other major issues related to the elections, he added.
Head of the interim Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah said stability in Tripoli provided an opportunity to advance local and international efforts to unify the military and security institution.
The government of stability, headed by Fathi Bashagha, also welcomed the meeting
