With the intensification of political tensions in Libya and the prevalence of tension in Tripoli, the UN adviser announced an initiative to resolve the current crisis to prevent the country from slipping into a crisis that could lead to a new military conflict.
Williams sent two letters to the Speaker of Parliament, Aguila Saleh, and the President of the Supreme Council of State, Khaled Al-Mashri, proposing naming 6 representatives from the two chambers to form a committee that would lay down a consensual constitutional rule, to begin its work on March 15 for a period of 14 days.
According to the UN advisor, the solution to the crisis is not achieved through the formation of competing administrations and permanent transitional stages. Rather, “a consensual solution must be found that preserves the country’s unity.”
The British Embassy in Libya said that Chargé d’Affairs Kate English agreed with Saleh on the importance of dealing with the initiative of the United Nations Special Adviser, to determine the constitutional basis for the elections.
In a statement received by “Sky News Arabia”, the embassy said that the Chargé d’Affairs and the Speaker of the House of Representatives agreed on the importance of stability and the need for settlement and dialogue at this important time of the transitional phase in Libya.
The European Union announced its support for Williams’ initiative on Libya, to form a committee to discuss ways to hold elections and maintain a state of peace there.
In a statement, the European Union called on the political actors in Libya to refrain from taking measures that would deepen divisions and undermine the stability that has been achieved with difficulty, since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in October 2020, and to immediately accept the initiative in order to avoid falling into a crisis.
Tension in Tripoli
This comes at a time when Tripoli entered an inflamed atmosphere, with a huge crowd of militias moving towards it, after the government of Fathi Pashagha won the confidence and most of its ministers took the constitutional oath.
It is believed that the military vehicles that entered Tripoli follow the outgoing Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, who refuses to leave his post, while the airspace of Libya was closed to prevent ministers from reaching the session, and gunmen kidnapped government ministers.
On March 16, the UN Security Council will hold a session to discuss the situation in Libya, and the UN advisor is scheduled to provide a briefing on the state of affairs in the country, and the details of the initiative she proposed to the House of Representatives.
trend to escalate
In an interview with “Sky News Arabia,” the Libyan political analyst, Al-Sadiq Al-Jari, considered that the new UN initiative “may be a solution and may not bring results, as the situation depends on the consensus of the House of Representatives and the state.”
Al-Jaray added that the new UN solution “may be difficult to predict whether it will succeed or fail, as it all depends on the extent of consensus between the two councils.”
He explained that “the step of the government holding its first meeting in Tobruk indicates the extent of tension in Tripoli,” suggesting that the government move to Sirte, in the center of the country’s northern coast, before starting its work from Tripoli.
Al-Jari expected that “the security situation in Tripoli is heading for an escalation, and things have come out of the control of the Misrata Council of Elders, which is managing the crisis.”
In the words of the political analyst, “the closure of the airspace and the kidnapping of ministers is a strong message that Bashagha will not work in Tripoli, and that Dabaiba will not hand over the government smoothly.”
The spokesman suggested that the presence of armed formations loyal to the two sides in the capital indicates that “the collision will happen at any time, which shows a new division in a party that has been cohesive for 10 years, to which Bashagha and Dabaiba belong.”
Tripoli is not safe
According to the Libyan political analyst Sultan Al-Baroni, the situation raises concern, and the kidnapping of ministers is an unexpected step, due to the failure to dismantle the militias controlling Tripoli, and he suggested moving the government to Sirte to avoid the outbreak of a military conflict.
In his interview with Sky News Arabia, Al-Baroni confirmed that the international initiative as a whole may be good, and “what is distinguished in it is that it is time-limited, and it may be decisive in setting a constitutional basis for holding elections.”
He considered that choosing Tobruk as a temporary alternative to holding government meetings may be a solution until the negotiation of Dabaiba’s departure.
Al-Baroni stressed that closing the airspace without a strong reason “is contrary to the constitution and undermines public peace, and these things did not happen in Libya until after the 2011 revolution to limit the movement of forces defending the regime of (the late Libyan leader) Muammar Gaddafi.”