Political leaders representing warring factions in Libya signed a UN-brokered agreement on Sunday to cease fighting and form a unity government with a one-year mandate.
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Rabat/Tripoli: Libyan political parties and members of civil society initialled a UN-proposed peace accord in Morocco on Saturday, despite the absence of a rival parliament not recognised by the global community.
The Islamist-dominated government in Tripoli – running a parallel parliament to the internationally-recognized one based in the eastern coastal city Tobruk – said they did not understand why the agreement was signed.
Since the February 2011 Libyan uprising and the killing of late Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, Libya has sunk in deep security turmoil.
Representatives of municipal councils and the UN-backed government based in Tobruk initialled a draft deal stipulating a transitional period for the establishment of a democratic state in the country.
But a key player – the General National Congress (GNC), the legally installed government in Tripoli – and its allied Libya Dawn militia were not part of the agreement.
The European Union is ready to support a government of national accord (GNA), as soon as it is established, so that all Libyans can quickly reap the benefits of this move towards peace and stability, she said, promising that the EU will immediately help with capacity and institution building to national and local authorities, with a view to assist with the rapid resumption of service delivery, should the Libyan authorities require so, in a spirit of equal partnership.
Among the sticking points is a call for “respecting the judiciary”, a possible reference to a Supreme Court decision invalidating the Tobruk parliament which was elected in June 2014. The militants have taken advantage of Libya’s divisions to establish itself in the country, close to Europe’s shores.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi tweeted that it was an “important step in efforts to stabilise the region and re-establish peace in this great country”.
Some of Libya’s warring factions have agreed on a framework for a peace deal following months of talks in Morocco, the United Nations says.
Al Jazeera’s Menem Elamrani, reporting from Skheirat, where the talks were being held, described the agreement as “an important step forward but not a final deal”.
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“Let me enhance one message: The doors will remain open for those who have chosen not to be here”, he added.
