Africa-Press. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya welcomed the technical military meeting held on Sunday in the city of Sirte, which included the chiefs of staff from the east and west of the country, along with members of the Joint Military Commission (5+5) and the Joint Committee (3+3). The mission considered the meeting a “significant step” in building trust among Libyan military institutions.
In a statement, the mission noted that the meeting is a continuation of previous gatherings aimed at enhancing military dialogue among various Libyan parties, highlighting the participation of a UN delegation led by the Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs, Stephanie Khoury.
The mission emphasized that the Sirte meeting reflects the commitment of Libyan military leaders to continue working towards unifying the military institution, viewing this as a fundamental pillar for supporting stability and enhancing national reconciliation efforts.
The UN praised the efforts made by the participants, reiterating its commitment to support this process under Libyan leadership and ownership, through continued facilitation and coordination with international partners to contribute to establishing stability and advancing the unification of the military institution.
The meeting comes days after the President of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed Menfi, met with the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, last week in Geneva, where both sides discussed developments in the political process in Libya and ways to support a political path that maintains the unity, sovereignty, and stability of its institutions.
During the meeting, Menfi affirmed that any sustainable political settlement must be based on consensus among Libyan institutions and national ownership, free from any external interventions, stressing the importance of completing efforts to unify the military institution through the chiefs of staff and the Joint Military Commission (5+5), in accordance with the established references and Security Council resolutions.
For his part, Guterres praised Menfi’s approach based on dialogue and consensus among institutions, reaffirming the UN’s continued support for Libyan efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive political settlement and enhancing security and stability in the country.
