WAITING ON HAFTAR AS KEY PLAYERS ARRIVE IN ITALY FOR LIBYA PEACE TALKS
▶ Report suggests field marshal has boarded plane for Sicily, despite earlier vowing to boycott the meeting
Italy launched its latest push to settle a long-standing crisis in Libya yesterday, but there was no sign of one of the North African country’s key political players, despite diplomatic attempts to ensure he participates in negotiations.
Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose Libyan National Army controls the east of the country, has put Italy in a tight corner by stirring speculation that he will boycott a two-day conference in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, undermining attempts by Rome to regain diplomatic control over a stalled process.
But an Italian official yesterday told The National that Field Marshal Haftar was on a plane to Palermo.
Leaders of the three other main factions in Libya have already arrived at the summit, organised in collaboration with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.
Fayez Serraj, the head of the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli, Aguila Saleh, leader of the Libyan House of Representatives, and Khaled Meshri, head of the State Council, an advisory body to the Tripoli government all met UN special envoy Ghassan Salame before the summit’s official launch.
Mr Salame also held meetings with a number of other Libyan representatives and international delegations, including the foreign ministers of Libya and Tunisia, the deputy foreign minister of Russia and the Libyan ambassador to the EU.
An Italian government spokesman said a full list of participants would be issued later, including details of Field Marshal Haftar’s attendance.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is expected to welcome heads of delegations in Palermo’s Villa Igiea hotel before a working dinner.
The main talks will be held in a single session today, leaving room for Field Marshal Haftar to make a late arrival. Mr Conte yesterday dismissed doubts about the commander’s absence.
“I expect him to be present since he is one of the decisive players of the stabilisation of his country,” he told the Italian daily La Stampa.
The Italian official also expressed hope that negotiations in Palermo would contribute to an understanding between Field Marshal Haftar and his rival Mr Al Sarraj.
Despite Mr Conte’s assurances, an official from the army had told The National on Sunday that Mr Haftar would not attend. The source said the field marshal had received a visit from the head of Italian intelligence who tried to persuade him to change his mind.
Army sources also told Italian press agency Ansa on Sunday that Field Marshal Haftar was boycotting in protest at the attendance of Qatar and apparent Al Qaeda-linked groups.
According to analysts, Field Marshal Haftar’s absence would be a blow to the conference and attempts by Italy to make itself the main peacemaker in Libya.
Italy has been trying to reassert control over the Libyan peace process since French President Emmanuel Macron convened a surprise summit in Paris in May in a push for Libyan elections on December 10.
“The reports over Haftar’s potential no-show in Palermo are embarrassing for Italy,” Tim Eaton, an analyst with London-based Chatham House, told The National.
“A relative lack of high-level buy-in from international leaders and a lack of clarity over the potential outcomes of the conference means it will be unclear to rival Libyan figures what they can achieve in Palermo.”
If the 75-year-old general was to forgo the conference, achieving meaningful commitment to the UN plan announced by Mr Salame might also be difficult. The UN special envoy last week announced that a plan to hold elections in December was unrealistic. Instead, he proposed a peace conference in the first weeks of 2019 leading to “an electoral process starting in 2019”.
But Mr Eaton believes the UN is now in prime position to reassert control over the Libyan peace process, considering that French and Italian efforts have been hampered.
“If the outcome is simply to reinforce an amended UN plan, and economic and security plans already under way, then this conference will hardly represent Italian leadership over Libya’s stabilisation,” he said.
“Indeed, now that France’s attempts to force elections in December have also been cast aside, Palermo may actually best represent an opportunity for the UN to reassert its position and rise above Italian-French rivalry.”
Mr Salame’s deputy, Stephanie T Williams said yesterday that more work needed to be done to achieve peace and security in Libya.
“Success will depend on the unequivocal and sustained support of Libyan authorities and the international community alike,” she said.