On Saturday 18 March, the Quartet on Libya (the Arab League, United Nations, African Union and European Union) reaffirmed "the urgent need for a Libyan-led peaceful resolution" of the situation in Libya.
"The current situation and political impasse can only be resolved through dialogue and the commitment by all Libyan parties and stakeholders to consensually resolve their differences within the framework of the Libyan political agreement", the Quartet representatives say in a joint statement published at the end of a meeting in Cairo.
In this joint statement, they reiterate their "rejection of the threat or use of armed force by the Libyan parties as well as any foreign military intervention" in Libya. Condemning all the demonstrations of violence, including the armed attack in the Oil Crescent that began on 3 March, the Quartet calls for "the immediate cessation of military operations, the de-escalation of the situation and the need for all parties to refrain from any measures that could further exacerbate the situation on the ground". Underlining the recent escalation of violence in Tripoli, the Quartet also calls for the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord to assert its control of the security situation throughout the city in accordance with the provisions of the Libyan political agreement.
"There can be no military solution to the conflict", the Quartet states, underscoring "the importance of a cohesive and professional Libyan military operating under a unified chain of command as mandated by the Libyan political agreement". In the view of the Quartet representatives, there is a need to address this priority issue within an inclusive political dialogue among the parties concerned. The UN envoy, Martin Kobler, has therefore ruled out the supply of arms to General Haftar's Libyan national army, until this is subject to the Presidency Council. "To lift the embargo, there needs to an army with a well-established chain of command. An army that is accountable to the supreme command which, in line with the agreements concluded, is the Presidency Council", he said.
In their statement, the members of the Quartet reaffirmed their commitment to working "together in a coordinated and complementary manner" to advance the UN facilitated political process to implement the Libyan political agreement. They say that they stand ready to support any inclusive mechanism agreed upon by Libyan stakeholders which is representative and able to resolve the outstanding issues. For this purpose, the Quartet is resolved to undertake joint efforts in support of this process "by encouraging all Libyan stakeholders to engage, in good faith, in constructive and inclusive political dialogue to address the core issues in order to fully implement the Libyan political agreement".
At the end of the meeting, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini announced that she would host the next meeting of the Quartet in Brussels "in the coming weeks". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)