Conclusions of 5th meeting of AU High Level Committee

Conclusions of the fifth meeting of the African Union High Level Committee on Libya, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 17 April 2018:

1. The AU High Level Committee on Libya convened its 5th meeting, at ministerial level, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 17 April 2018. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Congo, H.E. Jean-Claude Gakosso, in his capacity as the Representative of the Chair of the AU High Level Committee on Libya, H.E. Denis Sassou Nguesso. The meeting was attended by representatives from Algeria, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Mauritania, Niger, South Africa, Sudan and Tunisia.  H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of African Union Commission, Ambassador Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security and the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General for Libya (UNSRSG), Professor Ghassan Salame participated in the meeting.

2. The Chairperson of the Commission and the Foreign Minister Gakosso made statements during the opening ceremony. The Commissioner for Peace and Security provided a briefing to the Committee on the latest developments in Libya and outlined the various AU efforts in this regard. During the closed session of the meeting, statements were made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Libya, and briefings were made by the UNSRSG and the Chairperson Special Representative for Libya, Mrs. Wahida Ayari.

3. On the basis of these updates, participants reviewed the evolution of the situation in Libya since the 4th meeting of the AU High Level Committee on Libya, held in Brazzaville on 9 September 2017 and in the context of the decision of the 30th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, held in Addis Ababa in January 2018. They also reviewed the efforts being made at regional, continental and international levels to end the violence afflicting Libya, as well as to facilitate an inclusive political dialogue among the Libyan stakeholders, with the objective of promoting national reconciliation and successfully completing the ongoing transition. Participants further discussed the best ways and means of enhancing regional and international coordination and engagement on Libya.

4. Participants welcomed the recent positive developments in the country and noted the significant reduction of violence throughout the first quarter of 2018. Participants acknowledged the role being played by the UN Support Mission in Libya in this regard and commended its return to Tripoli. They further encouraged other organisations and countries to follow suit.

5. Participants commended the progress made on electoral registration and welcomed the enthusiastic participation throughout Libya demonstrated specifically by the youth and women. Participants called on all stakeholders to uphold the commitment to the electoral process.

6. Participants reiterated the need for Africa to preserve its continental unity and solidarity, as well as regional harmony in the search for a lasting solution to the situation in Libya. In this context, participants expressed their deep concern over the political deadlock in the country; the precarious security situation; the sporadic violence and terrorist activities, and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, especially as it also pertains to the situation of migrants who are stranded in Libya, at a time when international efforts are being exerted to try and reach a political settlement on the basis of the Libya Political Agreement (LPA) in order to bring to an end the crisis.

7. Participants expressed deep concern over the security situation in Libya and condemned the additional inflow of arms into the country, noting that the country has more than 20 million pieces of weapons and hardly needs anymore. They urged all regional and international actors to stop arms supply in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. They further called upon international stakeholders to positively engage all concerned so as to support a political resolution in the country. Participants also underscored the imperative that the assets of Libya remain frozen with a professional management in order to prevent their depreciation and eventual loss and guarantee the right of the Sate of Libya to this effect.

8. Participants further expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Sabha, in southern Libya. They reaffirmed full support for the unity of Libya and condemned any act that can lead to divisions based on ethnicity or tribal affiliations.

9. Participants noted with deep concern the proliferation of armed groups and criminal activities in the South of Libya. They expressed the need for a tailored engagement strategy, including through convening of a meeting with key stakeholders in that region.

10. Participants reaffirmed their total rejection of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and strongly condemned terrorist and external rebel groups operating in Libya, and their criminal activities.

11. Participants reiterated their conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Libya, and once again, stressed to Libyan stakeholders the imperative of engaging in an inclusive AU-UN proposed national reconciliation conference so that Libyans will be the owners of their own political process and destiny.

12. Participants, while expressing support for the UN-led political dialogue, stressed the need to create conducive political and security conditions for the conduct of the envisaged elections in Libya, including promotion of national reconciliation and dialogue. In this connection, they called for the convening of a national reconciliation conference, under the auspices of the AU and UN.

13. Participants reiterated the significance of enhancing the cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations with a view to reaching a broad consensus on actions to be taken.

14. Participants underlined the importance of the role of the neighboring countries of Libya in the search for a lasting solution, noting the regional impact of the crisis, particularly in terms of security, flow of arms and migrants. Participants welcomed the efforts towards building a unified national army of Libya and to address the security situation in the South of the country. They noted, in particular, the two meetings which were held in Cairo and Niamey respectively. They also welcomed the involvement of the Africa Union in the trilateral task force, composed of the African Union, the United Nations, and the European Union to facilitate the orderly repatriation of migrants stranded in Libya. They called for continuous efforts to ensure effective coordination between the AU and the UN, within the framework of the partnership between the two organizations in the area of peace and security.

15. Participants expressed their appreciation to H.E. Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo and Chair of the AU High Level Committee on Libya; to the members of the Committee and to the High Representative of the African Union, H.E. Mr. Jakaya Kikwete, for their efforts to restore durable peace in Libya.

Source: APO