RFE/RLSun, 12 Jan 2020 03:51 UTC
© AP
Forces loyal to eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar and the UN-backed Tripoli government both say they have agreed to a cease-fire, potentially bringing a truce in the fierce battle to control the war-ravaged North African country.
Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) said the truce, set to go into effect in the early hours of January 12, was conditional on acceptance by the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which is based in Tripoli. "Any breach will be met with a harsh response," LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari said in a video statement.
In a statement posted online early on January 12, the GNA said,
"In response to the Turkish president and the Russian president's call for a cease-fire, the head of the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord announces a cease-fire." The GNA had previously welcomed the call for a cease-fire but said its responsibility was to protect its citizens.
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said it welcomed the truce and called on all sides "to strictly abide by the cease-fire and make room for peaceful efforts to address all disputes through a Libyan-Libyan dialogue."
The day before, Haftar's LNA had said it would not halt its campaign to drive the UN-backed government from Tripoli amid calls from Russia and Turkey for a cease-fire.
Many observers say a truce will be hard to maintain, given the fractious, unsteady nature of Libya's military alliances.
Libya has been torn by violence since longtime ruler Muammar Qaddafi was deposed and killed in 2011. The country has two rival administrations, the UN-backed GNA in Tripoli and Haftar's in the city of Tobruk.
The GNA is supported by NATO-member Turkey and its ally Qatar. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that he dispatched military elements to Libya to ensure stability for the GNA.
UN experts and diplomats say that
Russian military contractors in recent months have deployed alongside Haftar's LNA, which has also received air support from the United Arab Emirates and backing from Jordan and Egypt.Turkey and Russia have both been criticized by UN and Western officials, who say their efforts to arm their allies have led to an intensification of the violence.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on January 11, said earlier in the day that Libyan peace talks would be held in Berlin and that Libya's warring parties would need to play a major role to help forge a resolution. Merkel said she hoped the "Turkish-Russian [cease-fire] efforts will be successful."
Berlin and Moscow are acting as mediators in the conflict, which Germany has warned could become a "second Syria."
Putin said that "I am really counting on the opposing sides in Libya ceasing fire, ceasing armed combat...within a few hours. It's important to bring an end to the armed confrontation."
Comment: Update: Sputnik, 12/1/2020: GNA accuses LNA of ceasefire violations
Libya's Government of National Accord has accused the Libyan Armed Forces of almost immediately violating the ceasefires in the Salah ad-Din and Wadi ar-Rabiya districts of Tripoli.
© State of Libya
"The presidential council's head [GNA] and commander-in-chief of the Libyan army [Fayez Sarraj] declares ceasefire that began at midnight of January 12," the GNA said in a statement on Facebook. With that, the GNA stressed reserving "its lawful right to respond to any attack or aggression from the other side."
Update: Sputnik 12/1/2020: Ceasefire generally observed
From the start, the sides in both regions have tried to observe ceasefire, and, except for 1-2 scattered cases, the situation has been remaining calm," the ministry said.
Update: Sputnik 12/1/2020: LNA downs Turkish drone attacking Southern Tripoli
Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's LNA has shot down a Turkish drone that was carrying mortar rounds in violation of the latest ceasefire between the LNA and the GNA, the LNA's Al-Karama Operations Room said Sunday.
"An enemy Turkish drone that was carrying mortar rounds was shot down. This [the flight] was a violation of the ceasefire," the operations room's press office said.
Update: RT: 13/1/2020: Moscow hosts talks
President of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vitaly Naumkin: "The talks in Moscow are a serious [diplomatic] breakthrough for Russia in Libya... They have solidified Russia's position as an impartial mediator."
Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya's Tripoli-based UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), and his rival, the Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, arrived for peace talks in Moscow on Monday. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, are intermediaries in the discussions.
Grigory Lukyanov, a senior lecturer at the Moscow-based Higher School of Economics, stressed: "Russia is de facto the only player today that has the trust of both the GNA and the HoR, as well as enough trust of Turkey and Egypt. No other nation in or outside the region enjoys the same level or trust and support."
Haftar agreed to fly to Moscow because he does not consider Turkey an impartial side in the conflict. Russia's primary goals are to end the bloodshed in Libya and lay the groundwork for further dialogue.
Naumkin agreed that a "lasting ceasefire" would be the most tangible result coming out of the talks. "NATO had never intended to bring democracy to Libya. Democracy can never be introduced at the point of bayonets."
Update: Sputnik, 13/1/2020: Agreement envisions Russian control over implementation
The ceasefire agreement is being prepared to be signed by LNA Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and GNA Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj.
"The agreement includes the following points: Russia will control the ceasefire and send delegations to Libya to monitor the process; the deployment of Turkish troops to Tripoli will stop; the UN [will provide] international control of the ceasefire agreement's implementation; the LNA and GNA will return unconditionally to their positions under the ceasefire."
The LNA will be responsible for ensuring the security of oil and gas fields and fighting against terrorism in coordination with the GNA's head.
Update: RT, 13/1/2020: Moscow talks heading in 'positive direction'
"We want the ceasefire to be signed in Libya as soon as possible," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a joint press conference with Italian PM Giuseppe Conte in Ankara on Monday, shedding some light on the ongoing talks in Moscow. "I think it will end in the evening, I received the information that [the talks] continue in a positive direction."
Update: RT, 13/1/2020: Ceasefire without preconditions, stop all offensive military actions
The LNA and the internationally recognized GNA have pledged to observe the ceasefire suggested by Russia and Turkey after negotiations in Moscow.
The draft document suggests that all parties would stop military actions and observe the ceasefire conditions. Meanwhile, a commission is to be established to determine a contact line between the warring sides.
Update: RT, 13/1/2020: Good progress but not all sides signed the deal
The LNA and the GNA have agreed upon some ceasefire details, but they are still working on a document to elaborate upon some aspects of the ceasefire deal. Some warring parties signed the agreement immediately, but General Khalifa Haftar wanted to wait until Tuesday morning to have more time to study the document.
The talks in Moscow... lasted for more than six hours.
Lavrov also made it clear that Russia and Turkey would further lend their support to all Libyan parties to help them implement the agreement. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also expressed hope that both sides would eventually commit to complying with the newly-reached agreement, paving the way for the start of political process in Libya.
Aguila Saleh, the head of HoR, did not sign the document. However, Lavrov hopes the group will sign it on Tuesday.
Both leaders "view this document positively and just want some extra time, until tomorrow morning, to make a final decision about signing it," the Russian minister told journalists. "I hope, this decision will be positive."
See also:
Comment: Update: Sputnik, 12/1/2020: GNA accuses LNA of ceasefire violations Update: Sputnik 12/1/2020: Ceasefire generally observed Update: Sputnik 12/1/2020: LNA downs Turkish drone attacking Southern Tripoli Update: RT: 13/1/2020: Moscow hosts talks Update: Sputnik, 13/1/2020: Agreement envisions Russian control over implementation Update: RT, 13/1/2020: Moscow talks heading in 'positive direction' Update: RT, 13/1/2020: Ceasefire without preconditions, stop all offensive military actions Update: RT, 13/1/2020: Good progress but not all sides signed the deal See also: