Anxious to end a decade of violence in the country, the international community calls for “free” and “credible” elections on December 24th.
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Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Russian and Turkish presidents, had been invited, but were represented. The International Conference on Libya, organized Friday, November 12 in Paris, was supposed to give back the breath to the delicate electoral process engaged in this fractured country, while emphasizing the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries, Russians and Turks in particular. The summit allowed “to make sure these two main objectives,” said Emmanuel Macron, the French President, at the end of the discussions. For Angela Merkel, whom it was perhaps the last visit to Paris as German Chancellor, “progress is sometimes slow, but it has advanced”. Without hiding that work remained to do.
This time, Europeans sought to make a common front to hope to put an end to a decade of violence since the fall of the Muammar Gaddafi regime as a result of the intervention of NATO, France and the United Kingdom: The meeting was co-chaired by Mr Macron, Merkel Merkel, the President of the Italian Council, Mario Draghi, the United Nations, as well as the Libyan transitional authorities. The Head of the Government of National Union, Abdel Hamid Dbeibah, and the President of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Al-Menfi, had both moved. The US Vice President Kamala Harris was also present as part of his visit to Paris this week.
Divergences
While the approved ceasefire between the belligerents has been in effect over a year, and that a government gathering the different factions is in place, it was a question of asserting that the presidential and legislative elections would be well Organized simultaneously, or their results would be recognized by all forces involved. Divergences remain between Libyan officials on the modalities of the announced polls and the electoral law remains to be voted.
As a compromise, the conference participants agreed to support a “beginner” electoral process on 24 December, withdrawal from initial formulations. Those who will seek, “inside or outside the Libya”, to hinder the elections and the transition may be the subject of UN sanctions.
On the military level, and the question of the departure of the foreign forces, neither Ankara nor Moscow do not want to take the first step, at the risk of losing the positions acquired since their intervention, for the benefit of the Tripoli authorities for the Turks, Sides of Marshal Haftar for the Russians. On this point, Westerners are still categorical: “Turkey, Russia must also withdraw their mercenaries and military forces without delay, whose presence threatens the stability and security of the country and the whole region,” said the French President, highlighting a first step: the withdrawal announced on the eve of 300 Chadian fighters, “in the coming weeks”.
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