On 27 August, the United States and United Nations co-chaired a meeting regarding the Berlin Process on Libya. During the meeting, the US welcomed calls by House of Representatives (HoR) Speaker Aqeela Saleh and Government of National Accord (GNA) head Fayez al-Serraj on 21 August for a ceasefire and the resumption of oil production. The US also reiterated its support for Libyan efforts to build on this momentum and ‘to achieve a peaceful political solution that preserves Libyan sovereignty.’On 30 August, the head of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, met with Acting Head of the UN Support Mission to Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Williams in Cairo to discuss the latest developments in Libya. At the meeting, the two parties agreed on the importance of building on the joint calls for a ceasefire and vowed to end all hostilities in Libya. They also called for presidential and parliamentary elections and the resumption of oil exports.The meetings between Williams and the Arab League and the Berlin Libya Process conference signal that the international community remains intent on pursuing a political solution to Libya’s conflict and to ending the oil blockade as a first step, and is attempting to ride the momentum created by last week’s announcements. However, the broad statements issued by the various parties following these talks indicate that no concrete steps toward an agreement have been reached. Although Saleh and High Council of State (HCS) leader Khalid Mishri are expected to hold a dialogue over the formation of a possible unity government, this process remains vulnerable to the internal turmoil within the GNA.
Africa, Berlin Conference, Blog Posts, Egypt, GNA, Governance, LNA, Negotiations, Security, UN, US Politics
International diplomacy actively persists following ceasefire call