Guterres calls for formation of international committee to monitor Libya’s ceasefire

By Sami Zaptia.

London, 31 December 2020:

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the formation of an international committee to monitor Libya’s ceasefire.

The call came in a letter he addressed to the Member States of the Security Council in which he called for the formation of a monitoring committee comprising civilians and retired military personnel from international bodies such as the African Union, the European Union and the Arab League.

“I call on all concerned local, regional and international bodies to respect the outcome of the ceasefire agreement and to ensure its implementation without delay,” Guterres’s said.

“I urge Member States and regional organizations to support the mechanism for implementing the ceasefire, including the provision of personnel for observation under the supervision of the United Nations.”

He also called on ‘‘All countries to abide by the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations on Libya, which is subject to flagrant violations.”

Libya’s 23 October ceasefire agreement

It will be recalled that the 23 October immediate and permanent ceasefire in all parts of Libya agreed by the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission (JMC) during talks in Geneva called for:

1. The withdrawal of all forces from fighting fronts
2. The withdrawal of all foreign mercenaries and forces from Libya within 90 days from 23 October
3. The suspension of all training of troops domestically and abroad
4. The suspension of all international defence agreements
5. The formation of a Joint Operations Room for a joint police and military force
6. The identification and categorization of all militias and a mechanism for their reintegration (DDR).
7. Confidence-building measures by resuming travel between west and east Libya
8. Ending hate speech
9. Exchanging prisoners
10. Reorganizing the Petroleum Facilities Guards (PFG)
11. Monitoring of the ceasefire
12. Referring the agreement to the UN Security Council to adopt in a Resolution.

Immediate and permanent ceasefire agreement throughout Libya signed in Geneva | (libyaherald.com)

UNSMIL welcomes call for ceasefire by both conflicting Libyan parties | (libyaherald.com)

Libya’s internationally recognized government declares ceasefire, calls for demilitarized zone, departure of foreign forces, resumption of oil exports and elections in 2021 | (libyaherald.com)

The Hafter-aligned PFG announces resumption of the export of stored oil and gas | (libyaherald.com)