On 25 February, UNSMIL organized a two-day forum with members of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC), local ceasefire monitors, and members of the security arrangements subcommittee to examine and assess the increasing proliferation of hate speech, misinformation, and incitement across traditional media and social media platforms in Libya. The discussions focused on the harmful impact of such rhetoric on the stability of the ceasefire agreement and most importantly the social fabric of the Libyan society. Participants also explored practical measures to curb these phenomena, in line with Article 5 of the Ceasefire Agreement signed in October 2020. UNSMIL called on community elders, local, and national authorities to step up efforts to de-escalate inflammatory rhetoric and address the root causes of the current tensions.
