The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has welcomed the meeting of the commanders of the Libyan army in Tripoli this week.
“The United Nations commends this important dialogue and continues to support the security track talks, notably through the Joint Military Commission (JMC 5+5), including on the full implementation of the October 2020 ceasefire agreement,” UNSMIL said on Twitter.
General Abdelrazzak al-Nadhouri, second in command of forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar, visited Tripoli on Monday and Tuesday to meet with his counterpart in the country’s west, General Mohammad al-Haddad.
“It is necessary to name a single chief of staff for the military institution and begin the reunification of the army,” the pair said in a joint statement following their encounter.
The meeting reportedly enabled work by the 5+5 military commission — made up of military officials from each of the rival camps — to progress, including on the thorny issue of foreign fighters who were supposed to depart following an October 2020 ceasefire.
The sides also agreed Tuesday to carry out border patrols, including in the south, in order to stem the flow of migrants and root out smuggling and trafficking networks.
“I am heartened by the outcome of the meeting between General Haddad and General” Nadhouri,” the UN’s top Libya envoy Stephanie Williams said on Twitter, adding: “Their spirit of cooperation and compromise is a model for the political class.”
The US joined UNSMIL in commending the progress made in Libya’s security track.
“The United States continues to support full implementation of the October 2020 ceasefire agreement including the withdrawal of all foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries,” the US embassy said on Twitter.