Guardian: UN's intention to send observers to Libya is tangible international step on ground

CAIRO - 3 January 2020: The United Nations’s intention to send new observers to Libya to oversee the ceasefire is the first concrete step it has taken on the ground, beyond reports that have shown how to violate the arms embargo, according to a report released by the British Guardian newspaper on Saturday.

 

 

A report prepared by the newspaper and reported by the Libyan Al Wasat portal added that after the ceasefire was violated on a large scale in recent weeks, United Nations officials said that Libya is in a race against time to achieve tangible progress towards forming a government of national unity and avoiding the possible collapse of the ceasefire that has been going on for three months.

 

 

It will be the first time for the United Nations to take active steps on the ground to impose a ceasefire.

 

 

The ceasefire agreement reached on October 23 in Geneva is about to collapse, especially since the United Nations Special Envoy, Stephanie Williams, revealed the presence of 20 thousand soldiers or foreign mercenaries in the country, at a time when the conflict has cost since 2011, about $ 578 billion.

 

 

On October 23, the Joint Military Committee (5 + 5), which includes the GNA forces, and the General Command of the Libyan National Army in Geneva signed a permanent ceasefire agreement in the country, provided that the mercenaries and foreign fighters leave Libya within three months from the date of signing.

 

 

Later, it called on the United Nations Security Council to adopt the armistice resolution, with the presence of an international observers committee under the umbrella of the United Nations in participation with it, and this is the first time that a formal agreement has been reached to include observers on a ceasefire.

 

 

It is expected that Guterres’ proposal will be discussed between the two sides to agree on the nationalities of the observers and the nature of their work during the next meeting of the Ten Military Committee.

 

 

Earlier, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs to the European Union, Josep Borrell, stressed the need to support the efforts of the United Nations to ensure the preservation of the ceasefire agreement and said: If the United Nations requests our help to monitor the implementation of this agreement, we will help.

 

 

Since January, Turkey has been transporting Syrian mercenaries into the North African state and has dispatched armed officers and experts to command the operations rooms of the militias affiliated to the Government of National Accord (GNA).

 

 

Oil-rich Libya has been mired in chaos since the ouster and killing of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It now has two rival authorities and a multitude of militias vying for control of the country.

 

 

The country’s internationally recognized government is based in Tripoli, while Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army, is supported by a parallel administration based in the east.