UN envoy reports positive start to Libya talks in Geneva
Rival Libyan military factions are meeting in Geneva with the aim of securing a “lasting ceasefire”, United Nations envoy Ghassan Salamé told reporters on Tuesday.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Reuters/AFP/sb
Military officers of rival factions from the North African country began UN-led talks in Geneva on Monday, aimed at building trust and working out a monitoring mechanism for a ceasefire after ten months of fighting on the outskirts of the capital, Tripoli.
Salamé said the two sides initiated indirect talks “on transforming truce into a lasting” ceasefire and that there was a “genuine will to start negotiating together”.
He thanked Switzerland for its “precious help” in organising the Geneva meeting.
The so-called “Libyan Joint Military Commission” includes five senior officers from eastern commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) and five officers from the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).
Haftar has been waging an offensive since April to take control of Tripoli, where the GNA is based. The fighting has displaced more than 150,000 people and has drawn the increasing attention of outside powers. Clashes have continued despite a call for a truce by Russia and Turkey on January 12 and an international summit in Berlin on January 19 aimed at reducing international interference.
Haftar has received material support from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, and Russia, according to UN experts and diplomats, while the government is backed militarily by Turkey.
“Bridge gaps”
On Tuesday, Salame said the two sides were aiming “to bridge the gaps in their views on how the lasting, sustainable ceasefire can be organised on the ground”.
“We started yesterday to discuss with them a long list of points on our agenda, starting on an attempt to transform the truce into a more solid one, less often violated by either side and also to transform that truce into a real agreement on a lasting ceasefire,” he said.
He added that the two rival groups should actually sit face-to-face together in Geneva for the first time when it is appropriate. But he insisted that not all questions could be resolved in one session.
Intra-Libyan talks are also planned to discuss political and economic affairs. The political segment is due to take place in two weeks’ time in Geneva.
According to the UN, more than 200 civilians have been killed and more than 128,000 people have fled their homes since the Libyan conflict escalated in early April of last year amid Hafter’s push towards the capital. The fighting has threatened to plunge the country into a state of violent chaos to rival the 2011 conflict that ousted and killed long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
This content was published on
The two cities have beaten Zurich and Bern onto the shortlist to host the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2025, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) said on Friday.
This content was published on
While construction expenditure in Switzerland rose by 0.3% in nominal terms last year, the price-adjusted situation shows a 2.5% decrease, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
Another body found in southern Switzerland after June storms
This content was published on
A body was found in the Maggia river in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino on Thursday, police said. It is “likely” to be the sixth victim of devastating storms which hit the region at the end of June.
Swiss helicopter rescue pioneers safe autopilot approach system
This content was published on
Swiss air rescue company Rega has received approval for a new kind of instrument flight system for approaching a hospital.
Algerian to face trial in Switzerland for ties to Islamic State
This content was published on
A 51-year-old Algerian man has been charged by the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office for involvement in the banned terrorist group.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.