Libya’s warring rivals sign nationwide “permanent ceasefire” at UN ceremony

23 October, 2020 | Filed under: All News,more news,Opinion,RECENT POSTS,Somali news | Posted by:
A general view of the talks between the rival factions in the Libyan conflict at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland on October 20, 2020.
A general view of the talks between the rival factions in the Libyan conflict at the United Nations offices
in Geneva Switzerland on October 20, 2020. © Pool, Reuters

 Libya’s warring sides signed an agreement for “a permanent ceasefire in all areas of Libya”, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a Facebook post on Friday.

 After mediation led by UN envoy Stephanie Turco Williams this week, the 5+5 Joint Military Commission reached what the United Nations called an “important turning point towards peace and stability in Libya”.

Further details were not immediately available, but live video of the signing ceremony in Geneva was streamed on Facebook.

Libya is split between a UN-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the east. The two sides are backed by an array of local militias as well as regional and foreign powers. The country was plunged into chaos after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

“The road to a permanent ceasefire deal was often long and difficult,” Williams said on Friday, noting that there’s a “great deal of work” to do in the coming weeks to implement the commitments. She expressed hope the agreement will succeed “in ending the suffering of Libyans and allowing those displaced by the conflict to return to their homes”.

Source:france24.com/en/africa