The United Nations announced on Thursday that it would seek to assist Libya’s opposing factions in reaching an understanding on contentious issues in order to avert the long-delayed holding of presidential and legislative elections in the war-torn country.
After more than two weeks of discussions in Morocco, representatives of the various factions in Libya said early on Wednesday that they had reached an understanding on the legislative procedures necessary for new elections.
They didn’t sign an agreement, though, signaling that there were still issues they needed to work out.
On Thursday, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement it “takes note” of the outcome of the Morocco talks.
In order to secure “the necessary political agreement on the path to elections,” UNSMIL will seek “to facilitate a process among all actors to address the contested elements of the electoral framework,” according to the statement.
Abdoulaye Bathily, the U.N. representative for Libya, was not present at the Moroccan negotiations, but the UNSMIL statement on Thursday encouraged “all players to refrain from delay tactics aimed at prolonging the stalemate.”
Representatives from the US and the EU were present in Tripoli to support the U.N. plea.
The U.N. mission urged all parties “in a spirit of compromise, to address all outstanding issues and create a safer and more conducive environment for the holding of elections in 2023.”
Elections in the North African nation were scheduled for December 2021, but they were never held because of disagreements over important matters, such as who should run for office. The eligibility of troops and dual nationals to run is one of the hotly debated issues.
Khalifa Haftar, the powerful figure in eastern Libya, is also a citizen of the United States, and his critics charge that he wants to reinstate the military government there.
Since strongman Moammar Kadhafi was overthrown in a 2011 uprising, Libya has been ripped apart by a more than ten-year conflict that comes and goes, with several militias establishing opposing coalitions supported by international powers.
The nation is still divided between an ostensibly interim administration in Tripoli, in the west, and one in the east, supported by “Field Marshal” Haftar.