The ceasefire agreement signed by Libya’s opposing military factions in October 2020 bolstered UN-backed political talks on the appointment of an interim unity government. This new government is expected to hold national election in late December of this year. The goal, as stated by Stephanie Williams, current UN Secretary-General’s Acting Special Representative, is “to respond to the aspirations and demands of the Libyan people for a sovereign and unified Libya and a true commitment to national reconciliation.” Despite sluggish progress, delegates attending the ongoing Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Geneva have in principle agreed to elect a Prime Minister and a three-member presidency council from a list of 45 candidates. However, the brittleness of the current truce between the GNA and LNA, as well as the presence of foreign interference on both sides, represent formidable stumbling blocks on the path to diplomacy, with many Libyans remaining sceptical and fearing a return to conflict and anarchy.
Libya: a light at the end of the tunnel?
10 February, 6pm CET
Panel Discussion
Arturo Varvelli, Head, Rome Office, and Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR
Mary Fitzgerald, Associate Fellow, ICSR, King’s College London
Karim Mezran, Director of the North Africa Initiative and Resident Senior Fellow, Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs, Atlantic Council
