International organisations and global nations have come forward to welcome the rising prospects of peace in Libya. The UN backed Prime Minister of the war torn nation, Fayez Serraj on Friday announced a ceasefire and ending of all hostilities in Libya and called for presidential and parliamentary elections.
The North African country has been toiling in civil war which followed the death of the country’s dictator, Muammar Al-Gaddafi.
In a statement on Friday, the UN Secretary General to Libya Stephanie Williams hailed the points of agreement in the declarations issued by Libya’s UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and Speaker of the eastern-based House of Representatives (Parliament) Aguila Saleh, Xinhua news agency reported.
Williams urged for the rapid implementation of the two leaders’ call for the resumption of oil production and exports, it added.
The UN official also called on all parties to “rise to this historic occasion and shoulder their full responsibilities before the Libyan people”.
Earlier in the day, Serraj and Saleh issued statements announcing the ceasefire, as well as calling for resumption of oil exports and elections in the country.
Williams noted that the initiatives “have created hope for forging a peaceful political solution to the longstanding Libyan crisis, which will affirm the desire of the Libyan people to live in peace and dignity”.
The European Union (EU) has also welcomed the ceasefire announcements made by the UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj and Speaker of the eastern-based Parliament Aguila Saleh.
In a statement on Saturday, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said the mutual gesture is a “constructive first step forward” that shows the determination of the Libyan leaders to overcome the stalemate and creates hope for ending the longstanding conflict, reports Xinhua news agency.
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“We fully support the agreement around the principles to immediately cease all military activities across Libya, requiring the departure of all foreign fighters and mercenaries present in Libya, and resume the negotiating process in the framework of the UN-led Berlin process,” he said in a statement.
Borrell urged all concerned parties to translate the principles into concrete actions on the ground leading to a permanent ceasefire.
The Gulf Cooperation Council joined other organisations in expressing the acceptance of ceasefire. Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf, Secretary-General of the GCC, welcomed the declaration announced by the Libyan Presidential Council and the House of Representative for an immediate ceasefire and cease of military operations in all Libyan territories.
In a statement issued on Friday, Dr. Al-Hajraf called on all parties in Libya to adhere to this constructive step, to urgently engage in political dialogue, and to work – through the mediation of the United Nations – to reach a permanent and comprehensive solution to end the conflict in Libya, and achieve security and stability for the brotherly Libyan people.
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The eastern-based army and the UN-backed government had been engaged in a deadly armed conflict for more than a year over the control of capital Tripoli before the UN-backed government announced taking over all of western Libya following the eastern-based army’s withdrawal from the region.
After the eastern-based army withdrew from western Libya, the UN-backed government has been trying to take control of the city of Sirte and Jufra district tn the country’s central region.
“Based on the political and national responsibility, and the current situation in the country and the region, as well as the pandemic situation, President of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord issues orders to all its military forces to immediately cease fire and end all hostilities in the Libyan territories,” the UN-backed government said in a statement on Friday.
“As the President issues announcement of ceasefire, he stresses that the ultimate purpose is to restore the full sovereignty on the Libyan soil and evacuation of foreign mercenaries and forces,” the statement said.
The statement also stressed the need to reopen oilfields and ports and resume oil exports, provided that the oil revenues are deposited in the account of the state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) at the Libyan Foreign Bank, Xinhua news agency reported.
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