Tunisia called for UN monitors to back Libya’s ceasefire
On Monday, Tunisia appealed to the current president of the UN Security Council for a decision to send international monitors to back Libya’s ceasefire, to be adopted as soon as possible.
The Tunisian ambassador to the UN Tarek Ladeb, referring to the negotiations between Libyan sides and the UN mission there: We hope that it will be adopted as soon as possible because there is a momentum, yet it’s a little bit fragile.
In fact, UN chief Antonio Guterres suggested, at the end of last year, the use of international monitors in Libya with hopes that foreign combatants would soon leave and the country could turn the page after a decade of war.
It should be noted that the warring parties reached a ceasefire on October 23 in Geneva, so all foreign troops would leave within three months, by January 23. While the international observers would monitor their departure.
On his part, Guterres requested for a group including civilians and retired soldiers from regional groups like the African Union, European Union and Arab League. He also appealed for all nations to respect the UN arms embargo on Libya that has been strongly violated.
Furthermore, UN envoy, Stephanie Williams, valued, in early December, that 20,000 foreign forces and mercenaries still in the country in a shocking violation of Libyan sovereignty, and under Guterres’ proposal, monitors would firstly work in a triangular section of Libya around Sirte. Whereas, the observers would multiply to other parts of the country to could be substituted by a unified Libyan national force.
Tunisia, which is a non-permanent member of the Security Council, effectuated its rotating presidency in early January, and its work program does not at this stage include an assembly on Libya until the end of the month.
