Brussels, 03/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 2 December, Bernardino Leon, the special representative of the United Nations secretary general, called on the EU to do more to resolve the Libyan crisis.
“The EU can do much on the political level because this is a fundamental partnership for Libya, [a partnership] which, unlike with the other neighbours, is perceived as neutral, with enormous influence and a strong ability to get through”, Leon told the European Parliament. In Leon's view, the EU is a key player from a political point of view, as well as Libya's main economic partner - with a very high volume of trade, especially in energy products. The EU thus “has a responsibility and should explain to the Libyan negotiators that it is not only with a political agreement that the situation will be acceptable for everyone, that this is not the only way that economic flows can be maintained”, he added. Leon also believed that Europe had “much to say” in terms of security because several European countries were involved in the fall of the Gaddafi regime and were therefore seen as stakeholders in this revolution.
Leon stated that is was time for the international community to send a “very strong” message for Libya to seek a political solution. “Each must go beyond his own interests to seek Libya's interest”, he said.
Is Ghadamès 2 process the last chance? Leon also underlined that the Ghadamès 2 peace process was perhaps “the last chance” for Libya. “If advantage can't be taken from the Ghadamès 2 process, there is a risk of more instability (…) there is a risk of giving more powers to those who are causing the confrontation”, he said. This process is due to resume on 9 December.
In Leon's opinion, the process should not only include political actors. The political negotiating table will be key, in the broad sense of the term, but so will three other tables - one which will involve the militia, another with the tribal chiefs and the third with the political parties. “We hope to launch an inclusive process and a very wide debate to reach a solution”, Leon stated, while adding that “the situation has deteriorated so much that it is difficult to say whether this will succeed or not”. He stated that the first phase of the negotiation will focus on the roadmap, with the appointment of a national unity government and the relaunch of the constitutional process. The second phase, “if the first meets with success”, will focus on the other elements.
International support for discussions. In a joint press release on 3 December, the foreign affairs ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, the US secretary of state, the high representative and under-secretary general of the UN for political affairs hailed Leon's announcement about the new series of talks bringing together the most important Libyan actors, and the positive reactions of the parties. They urged them to participate in this process “constructively and without any conditions” - a process which “represents the most viable path for Libya to chart its own future”. The politicians warned that they would consider the possibility of taking further measures if “key stakeholders fail to participate in the UN-led process”.
Strongly endorsing the UN's endeavours to work with the key stakeholders in order to build a national unity government, the participants committed to backing such a government. They also strongly condemned the recent violence and called again for an “immediate” cessation of the hostilities.
On Monday 1 December, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini told the European Parliament that Libya was “one of the difficult scenarios with which we're confronted”. “We must work with the different parties that reject the violence, so that they might manage the country together. However, getting them to sit together will be hard”, she said (our translation). (CG)