Brussels, 18/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - The conference on Libya that was held in Madrid on Wednesday 17 September, and organised by the Western Mediterranean countries (5+5 Group, which includes Italy, France, Malta, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya), finished without the publication of a final statement, as was noted at the end of the meeting. However, there are reports that a decision might also be made to publish “presidency conclusions” on Thursday - the outlines of which have already been drawn by the Spanish foreign minister at the final press conference.
This confusion is a sign of misunderstanding on the solutions to be favoured for a way out of the ongoing conflict, which nevertheless worries both the neighbouring countries and the main actors from the international community - including the EU. The reason for this is the different takes on the political situation in Libya and the refusal by its neighbouring countries, especially Egypt, that the “dialogue” advocated put the Libyan authorities and the Islamist militia on an equal footing. Some of the countries present at the Madrid conference insisted that “those who practise violence and who do not renounce terror must not take part in the national dialogue”.
The meeting, according to Spain's Foreign Minister Manuel Garcia-Margallo (who had his Libyan counterpart Mohammed Abdelaziz alongside him) nevertheless marked the need to “preserve unity, sovereignty and democracy in Libya”. The common view is that solution to the crisis “must come from the Libyans themselves”. However, “the right and the obligation of the international community to help the Libyans in their quest for a political solution to this crisis” were underlined. This must be through “national dialogue and reconciliation with the participation of the political actors, tribal leaders and other high profile people”. Abdelaziz is reported to have rejected the idea of military intervention in his country as this, in his view, has always had “disastrous” consequences. In his opinion, there would seem to be other forms of help to offer the Libyan people - through training its army and its police, and the supply of up-to-date technology in order to combat terrorism.
“The role of international institutions is to help and not to take over [in the domestic affairs of sovereign countries]. Consequently, we cannot accept foreign military intervention in any form in Libya”, said Algeria's Minister for Foreign Affairs Ramtane Lamamra in his statements to Algeria's media. Lamamra, who had initially blocked the publication of a joint statement, then confirmed the rejection of putting rebel militia and the government on an equal footing. “Libya has an elected parliament which has the law on its side”, he said. Lamamra also noted that, “in order to consolidate its legitimacy, the parliament must be able to take measures to calm the situation, to bring people together, able to create a climate appropriate for an inclusive dialogue and for national reconciliation”.
As well as the ten countries from the 5+5 Group also present at the meetings were the EU and its member states concerned (especially France), bordering countries (such as Egypt, Niger, Chad and Sudan), the Arab League, and the Union for the Mediterranean. The UN was represented by its special envoy for Libya, Bernardino Leon. (FB)