European Union demands commitment of permanent ceasefire from Libyan parties

The European Union and its Member States recall that there is no military solution to the crisis in Libya.

The European Union and its Member States are united in demanding that all Libyan parties commit to a permanent ceasefire and return to a UN-facilitated political process. The European Union and its Member States welcome the proposal by Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ghassan Salame for a truce on the occasion of the Eid al-Adha is an important step in this regard. These measures could constitute the first step towards peace.

The European Union and its Member States recall that there is no military solution to the crisis in Libya. It is necessary to relaunch the UN-led mediation process, taking into account the full and equal representation and participation of both women and men, to promote an inclusive government, prepare for democratic parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible, ensure a fair and transparent distribution of the national wealth and advance the reunification of all Libyan sovereign institutions, including the Central Bank and the national security forces under civilian oversight as agreed in Paris in May 2018, in Palermo in November 2018, and in Abu Dhabi on February 2019. In this vein, the European Union fully supports the Special Representative's proposal in three steps to relaunch the political negotiations and in particular to implement the truce.

The European Union and its Member States urge all parties to protect civilians, including migrants and refugees, by allowing and facilitating a safe, rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and services to all those affected, as stipulated under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law. The indiscriminate attacks on densely populated residential areas may amount to war crimes and those breaching International Humanitarian Law must be brought to justice and held to account. The European Union and its Member States demand all parties to cease the targeting of humanitarian workers and medical staff as well as hospitals and ambulances and protect national infrastructure.

The European Union and its Member States call all UN Member States to fully respect their obligations to contribute to Libya’s peace and stability, safeguard Libya's oil resources and protect its infrastructure in full compliance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The European Union and its Member States also call all UN Member States to respect the arms embargo, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2441. The ongoing conflict is destabilizing Libya and the entire region has fuelled the intentional use of false news and disinformation and has increased the risk of terrorism and of the tragic loss of human lives, also at sea. It urges all parties to dissociate themselves, both publicly and on the ground, from terrorist and criminal elements involved in the fighting, and from those suspected of war crimes, including individuals listed by the UN Security Council.

(With Inputs from APO)