The national authorities in Libya should not relent in their commitment to the 2020 ceasefire agreement which put paid to active conflict among disparate groups jostling for territory in the North African country, said Abdoulaye Bathily, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative.Bathily’s statement comes after the conclusion of the latest meeting of the Joint Military Commission (5+5) in Sirte Monday.

The Senegalese politician and diplomat called on the Libyan government to allocate appropriate resources and step up political efforts to end the stalemate and reestablish legitimacy to national institutions through elections. 

Bathily, who chaired the two-day meetings, commended JMC members for their “determination and commitment towards peace and stability in Libya and its unity and integrity” and urged political leaders “to show the same spirit of unity and abnegation as their brothers in uniform in the Joint Military Commission in order to overcome the current crisis.”

Libya has witnessed political turmoil since the overthrow and assassination in an armed uprising of long term ruler Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011.

A UN-backed government headquartered in the capital Tripoli has been involved in a bitter struggle with a rival administration based in the eastern city of Tobruk for control of the rest of the country.

Armed miitias have also posed a threat of their own as they launch marauding raids to control oil facilities and their production.

Meanwhile the SRSG Bathily reiterated UN support to the JMC and relevant Libyan institutions efforts towards reunifying the military and security institutions, withdrawing mercenaries and foreign fighters, as per the action plan of the committee, to preserve the sovereignty of Libya and its territorial integrity. 

He also stressed the need to identify ways to engage Libya’s neighbours in ending the presence of these forces on the Libyan soil and urged support from the international community to the so-called 5+5 JMC, which “represents an instrument of hope for all Libyans”.

The meetings looked at plans to engage armed groups with a view to creating a conducive environment for a sustainable peace and security in Libya.