UN`s Guterres Suggests Steps for Permanent Libyan Ceasefire

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres submitted on Wednesday a report to the Security Council, including a package of steps to implement a permanent Libyan ceasefire.

Guterres described his steps as "necessary in order to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement in Libya. In his report, he reviewed the latest developments related to the Libyan crisis file.

Guterres said: "A permanent ceasefire in Libya needs, first of all, to be acceptable from all parties to the conflict and all Libyans."

Guterres called for an agreement that helps in implementing the ceasefire. He added that a permanent ceasefire also requires support from regional and international stakeholders.

He went on saying that all member states must also fully comply with the arms embargo and other sanctions imposed by the Security Council.

Appropriate security and operational conditions must be created for the deployment of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism," Guterres stressed.

The UN Secretary-General called for reforms in the security sector, calling for reunifying the army and police again and demobilizing armed groups.

He explained that to achieve lasting peace, the UN monitoring component will need the full support of the Libyan parties, including security, operational, logistical, administrative, and technical aspects.

Guterres renewed his address to the Security Council regarding his proposal to deploy international observers in Libya to monitor the ceasefire agreement in Sirte.

Guterres said in his interim report to the Security Council that, “a team should be sent to the capital, Tripoli, as a first step to provide the foundations for a scalable UN mechanism for monitoring the ceasefire based in Sirte.”

He confirmed that the 5 + 5 Joint Military Committee between the two parties to the conflict had requested the deployment of international observers, unarmed inpiduals and not wearing military uniforms, under the auspices of the United Nations.

Guterres indicated that the observers would work alongside joint monitoring teams from the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Interim Government, emphasizing that the Libyan parties refused to deploy any foreign forces, including United Nations uniformed personnel.