The 5 + 5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) meeting concluded in Tunisia on Wednesday with parties expressing concurring views that the interests of Libya and its people come first before individual and partisan interests.
The session, joined by military and security leaders from the west and east, besides the UN Envoy Abdoulaye Bathily, shared their common aspiration for the country's unity and to move towards free and fair elections in Libya during the current year.
Recognizing the need to refrain from using force and acts of violence, the parties agreed to keep the channels of communication open and continue direct meetings from inside Libya, in Tripoli and Benghazi.
They underscored their rejection of all passive foreign interference in Libyan affairs, as they agreed to criminalize all acts of violence that harm civil peace or the political process.
In their final communique, the group voiced their rejection to hate speech that affects the JMC work and national reconciliation.
Furthermore, humanitarian aid and freedom of movement of persons and goods must be secured between all Libyan regions.
The statement stipulates that providing victims and family members with justice and reparations and the return of the displaced to their homes are one of the main pillars of repairing the damaged social fabric.
In October 2020, UN-led mediation efforts pushed the 5+5 Joint Military Commission to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement, describing it as a "historic achievement” and an "important turning point towards peace and stability in Libya."
The commission consists of five senior military officers from the western region and five from Khalifa Haftar's forces in the east.
