Libya notables hold UN talks on truce

Community leaders from across western Libya gathered in Tripoli on Wednesday to discuss how to keep a fragile ceasefire intact following recent fighting in the capital.

The sixteen leaders met with UN officials to talk about setting up systems that would prevent any group from launching military operations on their own and to better monitor whether all sides are sticking to the truce.

Stephanie Khoury, who serves as deputy to the UN Secretary-General’s special representative, sat down with the group to hear their assessment of the security situation and discuss what role they could play in maintaining peace.

The meeting brought together representatives from communities stretching across the region, including Tajoura, Zintan, Souk al-Jumaa, Misurata, Rishvana, Abu Salim, Zuwara, Jadu, Bani Walid, Gharyan, Zliten, Zawiya, and Greater Tripoli.

The leaders made several commitments during the session. They said they would work to keep young people from getting drawn into fighting and would tackle the spread of false information in their areas. They also asked the UN mission to keep up its mediation work and threw their support behind the ceasefire committee.

In a joint statement, the group set out what they want to see happen next. They called for a permanent end to fighting, better protection for ordinary people and their homes, and changes to how security forces operate so they follow the law and respect human rights. They reminded everyone involved that they have a responsibility to respect the ceasefire.

One of the participants seemed cautiously optimistic about where things stand now. “We are now in the sacred months, and thank God, conditions today are better,” he said. “We must unite as notables to work towards a permanent cessation of fighting.”