In the German capital (Berlin), he announced the conclusion of the Berlin II Conference, which discussed the situation in Libya with the participation of international actors and under the auspices of the United Nations and Germany.
In a press conference following the conclusion of the conference, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed his belief that there is an understanding between Turkey and Russia on a gradual withdrawal of forces from Libya to maintain balance, and that it will not happen overnight, stressing that the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya must To be achieved step by step and gradually. Read also Le Point: This is what the bill for the war in Libya looks like The “Libya Stability” initiative… What is the expected Egyptian role? Banning military movements without his approval.. Will the Presidential Council restrain Haftar’s movements in southern Libya?
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He considered that there are no stronger challenges than the unification of the Libyan forces.
Imminent withdrawal of mercenaries
For her part, the Libyan Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Manqoush, said in a press conference with her German counterpart after the end of the Berlin 2 conference, today, Wednesday, that there is progress regarding the issue of foreign mercenaries in her country, and that she hopes that they will withdraw from both sides of the conflict in the coming days.
It considered that the continued presence of foreign forces and mercenaries does not only harm Libya; Rather, the entire region.
She noted that the best way to achieve stability in Libya is to organize free and fair elections, and that the Berlin meeting reflects the international commitment to achieving stability in Libya.
She stressed that the time has come to take measures that the Libyan people see on the ground in order to achieve stability, and that she believes that there are two basic requirements in Libya; They are the implementation of the Berlin Process, and support for the initiative to stabilize the country.
She said that it is not possible to talk about transitional justice without the existence of mechanisms on the ground, and that national reconciliation is part of transitional justice.
The director of Al Jazeera’s office in Germany said that the final document of the conference included about 60 outputs, which would be presented to the Security Council, dealing with political aspects, security, armed groups, foreign forces and others.
He said that it was interesting to include a margin under the statement indicating that Turkey had reservations about the statement’s output.
Internal disagreements block the path
Earlier, the head of the Government of National Unity in Libya, Abdel Hamid al-Dabaiba, said – at the opening of the Berlin 2 conference held in the German capital on Libya, with the participation of 15 countries and 4 regional and international organizations – that internal disagreement and narrow interests impede the elections process in the country.
Dabaiba affirmed his government’s keenness to hold the elections in the best conditions, on schedule, at the end of this year.
He reviewed what he called the “Libya Stability Initiative”, and stressed that the most prominent title of this initiative is security; Warning – at the same time – of the existence of security concerns lurking in the political process.
Dabaiba called on the international community to assist his country in holding the elections on their scheduled date on December 24, noting that we are separated from this date by 6 months. Despite that, and due to internal disputes, which are still ongoing, the budget has not been approved yet.
deterring obstructionists
Dabaiba also called on those gathered in Berlin to abide by their pledges and help deter obstruction of the political process, stressing that his government will not be a “false witness” to some obstructing the Libyans’ right to determine their fate, and that it has begun preparing a comprehensive security plan to secure the elections.
He added that the country also needs more work to unify the military institution and maintain security in Libya, and that there are security concerns due to the presence of mercenaries and military forces with political dimensions and terrorists in southern Libya.
He stressed the need to address the issue of equitable distribution of revenues, and to create the required development and services, noting that everything that this current government does will determine the features of Libya’s future.
He said that his government is preparing to open the coastal road, and a cabinet meeting was held in Benghazi, and that the current stage is still critical; But it is full of hope.
Despite what he described as the difficult conditions in the country, and the persistence of internal disputes, Dabaiba stressed that there is no return to war, and stressed the need to speed up the return of the displaced and displaced inside Libya.
US State Department: We oppose military escalation
For its part, the US State Department said that it looks forward to working with the international community and Libyan partners to ensure strong support for the organization of the elections, and strongly supports the work of the Government of National Unity to ensure that the elections take place next December.
The US State Department affirmed its opposition to the military escalation and foreign interference, which leads to the deepening and prolongation of the conflict, and its goal is for Libya to enjoy sovereignty, stability and security without any external interference.
For his part, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called for the unification of the military institutions in Libya, and said that the message sent by the Berlin conference is that external interference must be stopped, and that foreign forces should leave Libyan territory.
He added that the Libyans want “to have their voices heard and to hold free and fair elections,” noting that the situation in Libya has improved in several respects; But there are still challenges.
Guterres calls for addressing the causes of the Libyan crisis
At the start of the one-day Berlin Conference 2, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “We are here today to build on the progress made at the (Berlin 1 Conference) through the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the road map of the Libyan Dialogue Forum.”
Guterres added – in a recorded message at the opening of the conference – that the United Nations is concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Libya, stressing that improving security in Libya will contribute to progress at the political level.
The UN Secretary-General called for addressing the root causes of instability in Libya, and holding those responsible for human rights violations to account, and urged the Libyan government to take the necessary measures to protect detainees and thousands of migrants from violence.
Al-Jazeera correspondent stated that the draft statement of the conference will stress the imposition of sanctions on the parties that impede the course of the political process in Libya, and the accountability of human rights violators in it.
The work of the Berlin 2 conference on the crisis in Libya is taking place with the participation of the European Union, the United States, Russia, China, Turkey, the League of Arab States and the African Union.
The conference will discuss a number of files, foremost of which is the unification of the Libyan army, the holding of elections on their scheduled date next December, as well as the exit of foreign forces from the country.
According to United Nations estimates, about 20,000 foreign mercenaries have been stationed in Libya since December 2020, and the number has not changed significantly, and arms shipments have not stopped.
It is noteworthy that the Berlin 1 conference witnessed the participation of the leaders of many countries, and called at the time for a permanent ceasefire in Libya, and for the imposition of respect for the embargo on the supply of arms to this country.