UNSMIL confirms Libya’s 5+5 military talks underway, calls for de-escalation, further avoidance of civilian casualties and new waves of displacement in and around Sirte

By Sami Zaptia.

London, 11 June 2020:

UNSMIL confirmed yesterday that Libya’s 5+5 military talks between the internationally recognized Libyan government in Tripoli and Khalifa Hafter’s Libyan National Army (LNA) were underway.

The engagement in these UNSMIL-brokered talks, created by the Berlin Libya conference outcomes, is seen by the international community as an important de-escalation step in the fighting between the two Libyan adversaries.

In its statement, UNSMIL said that it was ‘‘pleased to announce that both, Government of National Accord (GNA in Tripoli) and the Libyan National Army (LNA) delegations, are fully engaged in the third round of talks of the (5+5) Joint Military Commission (JMC). The Mission convened a meeting with the LNA delegation on 03 June and another meeting with the GNA delegation yesterday, 09 June.

Both meetings – which were conducted virtually – were productive and enabled UNSMIL to discuss with the delegations the latest developments on the ground and to receive their comments on the draft ceasefire agreement, as presented by the Mission to the parties on 23 February 2020.

While UNSMIL commends the seriousness and the commitment of both parties in the JMC dialogue track, it calls on them to de-escalate to avoid further civilian casualties and new waves of displacement. The Mission is particularly concerned by reports of escalation and mobilization in and around the city of Sirte.

Between 5 and 8 June, UNSMIL verified at least 19 civilian deaths, including three women and five children and at least 12 injuries to civilians in at least three locations outside Sirte, caused by airstrikes and Grad rockets’’.

There is now unprecedented international pressure on the Tripoli government to accept the ceasefire offered by the Hafter forces through the Cairo peace initiative last week. However, since Tripoli has enjoyed huge territorial gains against Hafter’s forces over the last two weeks, it has become emboldened and is so far unwilling to accept calls for a ceasefire.

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