Recent Clashes Threaten Political Agreement Process in Libya

Bernardino Leon, the UN envoy to Libya, has warned that there is still a long way to go before an agreement can be reached among rival groups in the country and emphasized that recent military clashes over control of the capital have put international efforts to achieve a ceasefire and agreement in the coming days at risk of failure. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País published on Saturday, Leon stated, "The agreement will be very difficult; there is still a long way to go." Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been plagued by unrest and widespread violence among various political-military groups. The UN envoy's interview with El País took place amid discussions among some of these groups in Morocco, facilitated by the United Nations. According to AFP, despite these talks, the government currently recognized by the international community in Libya has announced that its loyal forces have launched operations to liberate Tripoli (the capital). Last summer, the capital was captured by Islamist militants. Al Jazeera reported that the operations of the government-loyal forces have brought peace negotiations to the brink of collapse. However, Leon noted, "There are extremists and moderates on both sides. Moderates want to reach an agreement, but extremists prefer a military solution." The UN envoy stated that "the international community cannot accept such an outcome" and added, "What the international community did not do well after the 2011 intervention was not to resist. The issue was not rebuilding a state; it was about building a state from within the divide." The government recognized by the international community is based in the city of Tobruk. Al Jazeera reported that the government’s air force conducted attacks on military bases and the airport in Tripoli on Saturday. Officials in Tripoli also confirmed that Salah Bourki, a commander of the Islamist militants controlling the capital, was killed in clashes with government-loyal forces.