UN envoy urges Libyans to prioritise national interest in November talks
Carthage, Tunisia - The UN’s Libya envoy on Monday urged rival parties to place the national interest before political ambitions when they meet for talks next month aimed at ending a decade of bloodshed.
The North African country is dominated by armed groups, riven by local conflicts and divided between two bitterly opposed adminstrations: A United Nations-recognised unity government based in Tripoli and its eastern-based rival backed by strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Neighbouring Tunisia is set to host talks in early November including representatives of civil society, tribesmen, political leaders, and members of bodies representing both administrations.
“What we want to see in terms of participation is people who are not there for their own
Stephanie Williams (left), the deputy special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Political Affairs in Libya, at a press conference with Tunisia’s Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi near Tunis on Monday
political aspirations, but for their country,” said UN envoy Stephanie Williams on Monday, after meeting Tunisian President Kais Saied.
Asked whether Haftar or unity government chief Fayez al Sarraj
would be present, she said participants would be able to take part on the condition ‘that they remove themselves from consideration in high government positions’.
This included membership of the key Presidential Council, the Prime Minister’s job and ministerial posts, she told AFP.
The talks are intended to prepare for national elections, she added.
Tunisia’s Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi called for ‘a dialogue between Libyans that could lead to a political solution to the crisis’.
Saied spoke on Monday with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who saluted the renewed dialogue and said that Algeria, another neighbour of Libya, was ‘always at Tunisia’s side’. Tebboune also spoke of a visit to Tunisia after the November 1 referendum on constitutional reform in Algeria.
The Algerian President’s office confirmed that the two men had spoken via telephone.