Libyan Army Rejects Guterres’ Proposal to Deploy International Forces in the country
A military official of the Libyan National Army expressed Friday his complete rejection of the proposal of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to deploy international monitoring forces to support the Joint Military Commission agreement for a permanent ceasefire in the country, including civilians and retired soldiers from international bodies, such as the African Union and the European Union and the League of Arab States.
In a letter to the UN Security Council, seen by the German news agency, Thursday, Guterres said that the warring parties in Libya have requested UN assistance in implementing the Libya-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism after they reached a ceasefire agreement last October.
In his statement, the official stressed that the army is able to restore stability, noting that the Joint Military Committee is making great efforts to activate its decisions on the ground, in a way that guarantees a permanent cessation of fighting.
He stated that the two sides wanted to help unarmed and irregular international observers, adding that the UN team could include civilians and former military personnel from regional bodies, including the African Union, the European Union and the League of Arab States.
He stated that the United Nations aims to “establish an advanced presence as soon as the situation permits,” and the observer team will initially be deployed in the area surrounding the coastal city of Sirte and could be expanded.
“I encourage Member States and regional organizations to support the operationalization of the ceasefire mechanism, by providing observers under the auspices of the United Nations,” the United Nations Secretary-General wrote in the letter dated Tuesday.
The Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army reached a ceasefire agreement in last October after more than a year and a half of fighting.
