By Hadi Fornaji.
Tripoli, 3 December 2014:
UNSMIL chief Bernardino Leon appears to be trying a new tack in his efforts to bring . . .[restrict]about a negotiated end to the violence.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya has announced a new round of talks to be held next Tuesday, 9 December which it describes as “inclusive”.
Though it said that precise details, which will include the venue, will be given “in the next few days”, the UNSMIL statement also explained: “ There is agreement among the various Libyan actors that the way forward is to hold an inclusive political dialogue to tackle the crisis …”
This would seem to indicate that congressmen from the rump GNC and the Hassi antigovernment that it appointed, along with Libya Dawn leaders, most importantly Misratans, will be part of the meeting. If this is the case and the government also attends, along with members of the House of Representatives, then it could be its first formal face-to-face encounter between all the parties.
The first dialogue that Leon organised in Ghadames at the end of September merely brought together standout members of the House of Representatives with the majority of their colleagues who had chosen to attend the parliament in Tobruk. Since that meeting the Supreme Court has ruled that the enabling law for July’s elections was improperly passed by the old GNC.
It is unclear what relationship the new UNSMIL initiative has with the dialogue being promoted by the Sudanese, who are tomorrow in Khartoum hosting a meeting of foreign ministers from Libya’s six neighbours. Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni has said that he is prepared in principle to take part in any Sudanese brokered talks.
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