UN Special Representative to Libya, Bernardino Leon has continued his efforts this week to try to bring Libya’s warring parties together and to convince them to participate in the next round of UN-sponsored peace talks. The talks, that are to go ahead on 9 December, are a follow up on the UN-sponsored meeting held in Ghadames on 29 September between members of the House of Representatives and a group of MPs boycotting it.
The dialogue has the strong support of the international community, as well as of Libya’s neighbours who announced their backing for the dialogue at this week’s Khartoum summit. Indeed, in the eyes of many including the EU, this is Libya’s last real shot at peace talks and there is a lot of pressure for the talks to go ahead. The UN is also hoping that the threat of UN Resolution 2174 of 2014, which sanctions anyone who threatens stability or who undermines the political transition, will have some effect. The list of those deemed to have committed such acts is reported to be almost ready for publication, something that is creating real anxiety among some Operation Libya Dawn elements.