UN opens Libya peace talks in Tunis with eye on elections
The US opened talks on Libya's future in Tunisia on Monday targeted at ending nearly ten years of chaos and bloodshed by arranging elections, but obstacles remain despite progress in cementing last month's ceasefire. Acting UN Libya envoy Stephanie Williams has described it as the very best opportunity in six years to get rid of the turmoil and warfare that contain plagued the North African oil-exporting country since 2011. But she warned at Monday's opening ceremony attended by Tunisian President Kais Saied: "The street will never be paved with roses and it will not be easy."
The talks, held among 75 participants chosen by the US to represent a range of political viewpoints, regional interests and social groups, come as the key warring sides discuss how exactly to implement a truce they agreed in Geneva. Libya has been split since 2014 between rival factions in the west, held by the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), and the east, home to Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA).
However, both sides are made up of sometimes unstable coalitions with their own interests and contain figures who might seek to sabotage any agreement they regard as a threat. Also, they are backed by foreign powers with their own concerns which may have invested heavily to develop military strength on the floor and strike handles their local partners.
Turkey supports the GNA, helping it come early July to carefully turn back an LNA assault on Tripoli backed by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt. After frontlines solidified near to the central coastal city of Sirte, both sides commenced U.N. mediated ceasefire talks. Williams said they had made new progress in implementing the nationwide ceasefire they agreed last month and had create a headquarters in Sirte to hash out details.
She wants the Tunisia political foretells set a roadmap for elections at the earliest opportunity and set up a single, unified authority in the united states that can manage the process. Those taking part have pledged never to accept any role in a fresh transitional government, she said. Nearly ten years after central authority collapsed, repeated bouts of warfare have sapped state resources, damaged the water and power networks and worsened a financial meltdown, making life wretched for millions.
As Libya sweltered in August and cases of the coronavirus commenced to go up, protests broke out on both sides of the frontlines over dire living conditions and corruption. "It's important to create dates for the elections in order that the Libyan people could have the ballot box after the sounds of bullets are silenced," Saied said.
