AL Chief, UNSMIL Head Discuss Efforts to Settle Libyan Crisis

On Sunday, the Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, held a meeting with the head of the United Nations Support Mission (UNSMIL) in Libya, Stephanie Williams, who is currently on a visit to Cairo.

During the talks, Aboul Gheit and Williams discussed the recent developments in the Libyan arena and ways to boost efforts aim to settle the Libyan crisis.

An official source at the League’s General Secretariat stated that Aboul Gheit and Williams welcomed the statements made by the Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj and the Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh to announce a ceasefire nationwide, to fully resume oil production and return to an inclusive political dialogue between the Libyan parties under the auspices of the United Nations.

The source added that Aboul Gheit, during the meeting, stressed the need to reach an integrated political settlement to the Libyan crisis, by completing negotiations aimed at reaching a formal and permanent ceasefire agreement. The agreement will be under the auspices and supervision of the UN mission, setting arrangements for resuming the operation of oil facilities, and meeting the basic needs of the Libyan people throughout the country.

It also stated that Aboul Gheit confirmed that all of these efforts will bear fruits only after ending all foreign military interventions in the Libyan affairs, and abiding by the arms embargo imposed on the country by the UN Security Council.

The AL Chief also called for removing all mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya, and engaging the warring parties into serious and purely national political process to address all aspects of the Libyan crisis, with its overlapping security, political and economic dimensions.

The source explained that the UNSMIL head briefed the Secretary-General on the various efforts made by the UN mission to resolve the Libyan crisis, as well as following up the implementation of the outcomes of the Berlin Conference in order to unify the international efforts for reaching an effective settlement to the escalating conflict in the North African country.

Williams also expressed her appreciation for the role being played by the Arab League in this regard, and the support it provides to the UNSMIL in ending the Libyan conflict.