The Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, said his country was ready to contribute to the success of the Libyan national reconciliation efforts in cooperation with the African Union, in order to find a consensual solution that enhances national unity.
Tebboune added in a speech delivered by the Algerian Prime Minister, Ayman bin Abdelrahman, on behalf of Tebboune at the meeting of the African Union High-level Committee on Libya on Friday that it was important to address the challenges related to the unification of military and financial institutions in Libya.
The Algerian president called for prioritizing dialogue and reconciliation among all components of the Libyan people, rejecting the use of force and condemning the continued foreign interference in Libya's internal affairs and the involvement of a number of external parties in violating the arms embargo. He reiterated his call on external parties to respect Libya's sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said at the Friday meeting that what is urgently needed is the political will to break the protracted political stalemate and achieve progress on multiple fronts in Libya.
He said that the United Nations, in close collaboration with key Libyan stakeholders, the African Union, and international partners, should propose and pursue alternative mechanisms towards finding solutions, explaining that there is no alternative to elections, which remain the only credible pathway to legitimate, unified governance.
The UN Secretary General underlined that the 2020 ceasefire agreement continued to hold, commending progress on security challenges, which included the work of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission that “represents an instrument of hope for all Libyans”, and hailing as well the African Union’s engagement and support.
“The next priority of the Joint Military Commission must be the complete withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya,”Guterres said, recalling that external interference had fuelled Libya’s descent into conflict.
