"The EU is contradictory in its approach", said Libyan National Agreement Government (NAG) political adviser Taher El-Sonni during a debate on 'The Deadlock in Libya' on Tuesday 16 July at CEPS in Brussels.
The GNA adviser deplored that the European Union "works more to repel migrants and terrorism than to support the civils" in Libya, calling for the securing of the country's southern border and long-term solutions. Libya is only "a migration crossing point" and it is necessary "to combat migrant traffickers all together", he insisted, adding that European requests to stop ‘smugglers’ in Libya should also target ‘recipients’ in Europe. Since 2014, out of half a billion euros of European funds allocated to Libya, about 65% has been allocated to the migration problem, according to the GNA.
The attack carried out on 4 April in the vicinity of Tripoli by the National Liberation Army (NLA), preventing the National Conference from being held, is a "State coup against the political agreement and legitimacy of government", according to Taher El-Sonni, who deplores that "the declarations [of the EU] do not mention the guilty parties" (see EUROPE 12235/13). He also warned about the rhetoric of General Haftar, who calls GNA members terrorists to legitimise his actions.
While Paris is criticised for its support to General Haftar, the French ambassador to the Political and Security Committee (PSC), Nicolas Suran, explained that it was "giving consent to the fight against terrorism" in Benghazi.
The conference participants agreed that no military solution is viable in a Libya with 20 million weapons. Only a political agreement between East and West is privileged. However, the prospects for negotiations are made uncertain by a "proxy war". Sameh Habeeb, Director of the International Centre for Diplomatic Relations in London, highlighted some of the "Arab autocracies" that are fuelling tensions and arming certain groups, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
He also observed that in Tripoli, civil society and political parties perceive Haftar as a "war chief" and that, on the ground, "the EU's position is shrinking".
To "change the nature of the crisis", the Government of National Agreement requests support for the holding of elections, the only way "to have a legitimate government" to act against armed groups, according to Mr El-Sonni. "The [centralising] system inherited in Libya [from Khadafi, ed.] is one of the main reasons" for the current situation, he said, adding that "the decentralisation is one of the main elements of the initiative of the President (of the GNA) al-Sarraj".
For the European External Action Service (EEAS), it is first of all necessary to ensure that "les rules of the game will be accepted by all parties" in support of the National Conference, stressed Colin Scicluna, Director for the Maghreb at the EEAS. He also called for a strong UN Security Council resolution, admitting that the EU "did a lot, but with little result" and conceding that efforts must now go beyond migration issues (see EUROPE 12283/14). (Original version in French by Martin Molko – intern)