Sarraj announces a ceasefire in Libya and calls for elections next March
The war drums have stopped beating in Libya. The leader of the National Accord Government (NAG), recognized by the UN, Fayez Sarraj announced on Friday an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of all hostilities with the authorities that control the east of the country.
In an official statement released by several local media, Sarraj said that "achieving an effective ceasefire requires the demilitarization of the Sirte and Jufra regions". The leader of the GNA pointed out that "the final objective of this decision is to restore total sovereignty over Libyan soil and to achieve the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries". In the same declaration, Sarraj called for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held next March.
This announcement comes after the spokesman of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Ahmed Al-Mismari said on Wednesday that his forces will not withdraw from Sirte and that they refuse to hand over the city to the "invaders", according to The Libya Observer. In April 2019, forces led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, loyal to the authorities in the east of the country, launched an offensive to take over the country's territory. The fighting has intensified since then, reaching its peak last December when Haftar announced the beginning of the "final battle" and ordered his forces to advance towards the capital. In recent months, however, the course of this war has changed and militias associated with Sarraj have regained considerable ground and important enclaves such as Sabratha, Sorman and Al-Watiya airport.
This conflict has had a direct impact on civil society, as the war has reduced oil production to less than 100,000 barrels per day compared to the 1.8 million barrels it extracted during the Gaddafi era, putting the economy of hundreds of families in check. For this reason, Sarraj has pointed out that "production and exports must resume in the oil fields and ports, provided that the revenues are deposited in a special account of the National Petroleum Corporation in the Foreign Bank of Libya, and that they are not eliminated until after comprehensive political agreements are reached. Thus, he explained that he has taken the necessary measures to support the "efficient and optimal" management of national resources, reaffirming that the National Petroleum Corporation is "the only one that has the right to supervise the security of the oil fields and ports throughout Libya".
The President of the Tobruk Parliament, Aguila Saleh, has also issued a statement announcing this ceasefire. Saleh believes that this cessation of hostilities "opens the way for eliminating foreign interference and mercenaries, dismantling the militias and contributing to the recovery of oil pumping". In his statement he has insisted on the importance of eliminating mercenaries and dismantling militias in order to achieve national sovereignty, stressing that the main objective is "to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation, turn the page and build a state through an electoral process in accordance with the Constitution". Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu agreed to continue consultations to help make this ceasefire a reality.
Libya is a polarised country that is characterised by both ethnic plurality and religious homogeneity. Following the execution of Muammar al-Qadhafi in October 2011, the North African nation has become a country marked by fragmentation. Almost nine years after the start of NATO's intervention against the Gaddafi regime, Libya is a nation divided between the areas controlled by the internationally recognised National Accord Government on the one hand, and the territory controlled by the authorities in the east, loyal to the Haftar militias, on the other. The conflict has intensified in recent months because of the interference of foreign powers interested in this region, especially because of its oil fields.
This war confronts the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by General Jalifa Haftar, who since April 2019 has been trying to extend his power in the regions still in the hands of the Government of National Accord (GNA). Haftar is supported by Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Russia and France; while the Tripoli government, backed by the Muslim Brotherhood and internationally recognized by the United Nations or Italy, receives military aid from Turkey and Qatar.
The spokesperson for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Stephanie Williams, has welcomed the announcement of the ceasefire made by Fayez Sarraj and Speaker of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh. She also urged "the rapid implementation of the two leaders' call for the resumption of oil production and export in accordance with the instructions outlined in the two statements". According to Willians, depriving the Libyan people of their oil wealth "is a sign of unacceptable stubbornness on the part of the local and international actors involved". For this reason she asked all the parties involved "to rise to this historic occasion and assume all their responsibilities towards the Libyan people". "The two parties have created the hope of forging a peaceful political solution to the long-standing Libyan crisis, a solution that will affirm the desire of the Libyan people to live in peace and dignity," her statement concluded.
