UN chief hopeful for Libya, after Quartet meeting in Tunis

UN Photo/Ahmed Gaaloul


Joint press conference of the Libya Quartet on 31 March, in Tunis. From left to right: Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; UN chief António Guterres; Ahmad Abulgheit, Arab League Secretary-General; Moussa Faki, African Union Commission Chairperson; and Ghassan Salamé, UN Special Representative in Libya.


30 March 2019

Peace and Security

Secretary-General António Guterres said he is hopeful for a solution to the eight-year long conflict in Libya, after a high-level meeting in Tunis, Tunisia, on Saturday with officials from the Arab League, the European Union and the African Union.


“After a productive meeting with our partners in the Libya Quartet, the word that describes what I think and feel about Libya today is HOPE,” the UN Secretary-General wrote on Twitter. “The situation is difficult, but it is essential that we use this window of opportunity to help further a Libyan-led solution.”

The meeting in Tunis included Federica Mogherini, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ahmad Abulgheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, Moussa Faki, Chairperson of the African Union Commission; and Ghassan Salamé, UN Special Representative in Libya.

A joint press conference was organised after the meeting.

In a tweet, Mr. Salamé called on the Libyan people “not to waste the opportunity” of the recommendations adopted during this high-level meeting and “not to close this window to build a unified, civil, sovereign, capable, fair state.”


The Special Representative, when briefing the UN Security Council last week from Tripoli, said that the UN mission there, UNSMIL, was working to both “prevent recent developments and tensions on the ground from escalating”, and “pivot to stability and a political compact” which would end the country’s crisis.


For most of the period since the 2011 overthrow of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the Mediterranean nation has been contested by various armed factions, leading to a breakdown of the economy, infrastructure and security across the country.


On Saturday, Libya kicked off municipal elections in nine municipalities across the country.


https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1035811
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode