Ghadames, Libya (UNA-OIC) – Military officers from Libya’s warring parties have agreed on practical steps towards implementing a ceasefire agreement, following the signing of a historic accord in Geneva last month, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has reported.
The two-day meeting of the Joint Military Commission (JMC), which comprises five members each from the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA), concluded in the northwestern town of Ghadames on Tuesday evening.
“This is the beginning of a process that is going to require determination, courage, confidence and a lot of work and what I have seen in these two days and what I saw in Geneva was the determination of this team to implement this [ceasefire] agreement,” said UNSMIL chief Stephanie Williams, speaking afterward to reporters.
The meeting in Ghadames marked the first time the JMC has met in the country as previous talks were held in Geneva. It ended with 12 recommendations, including a request that the UN Security Council expedite a binding resolution to implement the provisions of the 23 October ceasefire agreement.
Discussions centered around mechanisms for carrying out the agreement, including the establishment of sub-committees, according to a statement issued in Arabic by UNSMIL.
Monitoring and verification mechanisms, including a role for international observers, were also discussed.
The recommendations also outlined the formation of a military sub-committee to supervise the return of forces to their headquarters, and the withdrawal of foreign troops from contact lines.
“In the ceasefire agreement, there is a timeframe given for the departure of mercenaries and foreign forces. We have now detailed discussions on the monitoring mechanism for all of that but there is a clear sovereign Libyan request [in this regard] right now, that we have seen in the ceasefire agreement itself,” Ms. Williams told journalists.
“The onus, the responsibility is on the shoulders of those countries and elements that are responsible for bringing those mercenaries and forces to Libya; they must respect the Libyan request,” she added.
The JMC also plans to meet again in the Libyan coastal city of Sirte as soon as possible, according to the UN News.
