UNSMIL Welcomes Ceasefire and Withdrawal of Forces in Sidra Oil Crescent Area

31 Mar 2015

UNSMIL Welcomes Ceasefire and Withdrawal of Forces in Sidra Oil Crescent Area

31 March 2015 – The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) welcomes the ceasefire and the withdrawal of forces from the Sidra Oil Crescent area.

The move follows weeks of mediation efforts by UNSMIL between the Sunrise (Alshuruq) Operation and the Oil Installation Guard forces and relying on the goodwill of the parties to end the conflict.

The Mission considers the withdrawal a significant first step in ending the fighting in the Oil Crescent area. The Mission is inviting the parties to a meeting soon to continue the negotiations, which include interim security arrangements for the oil facilities.

UNSMIL has repeatedly called for an end to the fighting across Libya, including in the Oil Crescent area. It has urged the parties to the conflict to cease all military hostilities and focus instead on their common enemy, the terrorist groups which are determined to expand their areas of influence. Welcoming the developments in the Sidra area, UNSMIL stresses that such action, in addition to stopping the bloodshed and securing Libya’s oil wealth, would also help create an atmosphere of trust as Libyan parties engage in a decisive stage of the political dialogue aimed at finding ways to end the country’s political crisis and military conflict.

UNSMIL urges the parties in other areas to engage in similar arrangements to end the bloodshed and restore stability in the high interest of Libya.