UNSMIL Welcomes Agreement between Libyan parties on permanent country-wide ceasefire agreement with immediate effect
Geneva, 23 October 2020 - Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Williams strongly welcomes the signing today, in Geneva, by the delegations of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee, on behalf of the Libyan Army of the Government of National Accord and of the General Command of the Libyan National Army, of a complete and permanent ceasefire Agreement.
The Agreemen was facilitated by the United Nations, on the basis of Security Council resolutions 2510 (2020) and 2542 (2020), and Berlin Conference outcomes and is the result of four rounds of negotiations held since February 2020. The Agreement also responds to the Secretary-General call for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world to focus together on defeating COVID-19.
The 5+5 JMC met face to face for the first time from 19- 23 October 2020. As a result of this process, the parties agreed that, within a maximum period of three months, all military units and armed groups on the frontlines shall return to their camps and that all mercenaries and foreign fighters shall depart from all Libyan territories -- land, air and sea.
The ceasefire does not apply to UN-designated terrorist groups.
With immediate effect and until the new unified government assumes its functions, all military agreements on training inside Libya shall be suspended and training crews shall leave Libya’s territory.
The Agreement establishes a Security and Operations Room which shall propose and implement special security arrangements to secure the areas cleared of military units and armed groups The Agreement also foresees the establishment of a limited military force of regular military personnel under the Security and Operations Room to deter violations of the ceasefire.
The parties agreed, with support and participation of the United Nations, to immediately start the identification and categorization of all armed groups and entities on the entire Libyan territory, whether integrated into state institutions or not. A mechanism and conditions shall be developed to ensure reintegration, on an individual basis, of their members into state institutions.
Through the Agreement, the parties reconfirmed their commitment to implement the confidence building measures agreed earlier this week with regard to the full opening of land and air routes throughout Libya; as well as measures to curb hate speech and incitement to violence by media and social media platforms; to facilitate the exchange of detainees and to develop a proposal for the restructuring of the Petroleum Facilities Guards.
The Agreement foresees the establishment of a mechanism to monitor, jointly with UNSMIL, the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement. The parties requested UNSMIL to forward the Ceasefire Agreement to the Security Council and to request the Council to adopt a resolution to ensure compliance of all internal and external parties with this permanent countrywide ceasefire.
UNSMIL will reconvene the 5+5 JMC in the coming days to support the implementation of the Agreement and to launch the work of the sub-committees to address DDR, security arrangements, and counter-terrorism cooperation, in addition to a national effort aimed at unification of the armed forces.
As UNSMIL congratulates the Libyan people for this historical achievement to secure a more peaceful and prosperous future for their country, it pays tribute to the many Libyans who have sacrificed their lives, those who have lost loved ones, who have been injured and displaced, as a result of this long conflict.
UNSMIL salutes the sense of responsibility, patriotism and commitment to compromise of the members of the Joint Military Commission. The 5+5 JMC has have done their part -- and have done it very well – their compatriots in the other tracks, especially in the upcoming Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, will now need to do their parts.
UNSMIL also commends the President of the Presidency Council Fayez al-Sarraj and the other members of the Council, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Agila Saleh and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar for enabling and supporting this process.
UNSMIL expresses its appreciation for the constructive engagement of Libya’s neighboring countries, for the support by the members of Berlin process and calls on the international community to continue do its part by fully respecting and supporting this Libyan-Libyan agreement, including the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya.