News Agencies :
Libya’s UN-recognised government announced a ceasefire across the country on Friday and called for demilitarising the contested strategic city of Sirte, raising hopes for peace in the more than nine-year-old conflict.
The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) also called for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held in March, and for an end to an oil blockade imposed by rival forces since earlier this year.
GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj “issued instructions to all military forces to immediately cease fire and all combat operations in all Libyan territories”, a statement said.
Al-Sarraj added the ultimate aim of the truce is to impose “full sovereignty over the Libyan territory and the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries”.
Libyans fear the unknown as Egypt, Turkey ramp up war in Sirte (2:29)
There was no immediate response from eastern forces military commander Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). However, Haftar agreed on an Egyptian initiative in June that included a ceasefire.
Halt military intervention
Aguila Saleh, speaker of the pro-Haftar Libyan parliament, called on all parties to adhere to the truce. Saleh said the ceasefire will prevent foreign military intervention in Libya.
The truce will make the strategic city of Sirte a temporary seat for a new presidential council to be guarded by security forces from various regions in the country, said Saleh.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi – who has backed Haftar and threatened to deploy troops across t
he border into Libya – welcomed the ceasefire declarations, a statement said. As did the UN Support Mission in Libya, which called for the expulsion of all foreign forces and mercenaries in Libya. Both sides of the conflict are supported by thousands of mercenaries.
Sami Hamdi, editor-in-chief of The International Interest, a current affairs analysis magazine, said the announcements raised the prospect of peace in the North African nation after a number of failed ceasefires.
“I think this is the first time in the entire Libyan conflict whereby we have military stalemate, the military dynamics are equal,” Hamdi told Al Jazeera. “This time as a result of Turkish intervention, the western side, the GNA … has enough power to prevent Haftar from marching westwards.
Libyan government gathers war crimes evidence against Haftar (2:18)
“This ceasefire has a very good chance of lasting because the cost of a potential battle is so high and if an individual faction decides to launch a battle by itself it would find itself obliterated,” he added.
“Now, we are seeing a new phase in the negotiations between Turkey and the other foreign powers. All the dynamics suggest that all the foreign powers prefer some sort of peace at least for the foreseeable future.”
Libya’s UN-recognised government announced a ceasefire across the country on Friday and called for demilitarising the contested strategic city of Sirte, raising hopes for peace in the more than nine-year-old conflict.
The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) also called for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held in March, and for an end to an oil blockade imposed by rival forces since earlier this year.
GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj “issued instructions to all military forces to immediately cease fire and all combat operations in all Libyan territories”, a statement said.
Al-Sarraj added the ultimate aim of the truce is to impose “full sovereignty over the Libyan territory and the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries”.
Libyans fear the unknown as Egypt, Turkey ramp up war in Sirte (2:29)
There was no immediate response from eastern forces military commander Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). However, Haftar agreed on an Egyptian initiative in June that included a ceasefire.
Halt military intervention
Aguila Saleh, speaker of the pro-Haftar Libyan parliament, called on all parties to adhere to the truce. Saleh said the ceasefire will prevent foreign military intervention in Libya.
The truce will make the strategic city of Sirte a temporary seat for a new presidential council to be guarded by security forces from various regions in the country, said Saleh.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi – who has backed Haftar and threatened to deploy troops across t
he border into Libya – welcomed the ceasefire declarations, a statement said. As did the UN Support Mission in Libya, which called for the expulsion of all foreign forces and mercenaries in Libya. Both sides of the conflict are supported by thousands of mercenaries.
Sami Hamdi, editor-in-chief of The International Interest, a current affairs analysis magazine, said the announcements raised the prospect of peace in the North African nation after a number of failed ceasefires.
“I think this is the first time in the entire Libyan conflict whereby we have military stalemate, the military dynamics are equal,” Hamdi told Al Jazeera. “This time as a result of Turkish intervention, the western side, the GNA … has enough power to prevent Haftar from marching westwards.
Libyan government gathers war crimes evidence against Haftar (2:18)
“This ceasefire has a very good chance of lasting because the cost of a potential battle is so high and if an individual faction decides to launch a battle by itself it would find itself obliterated,” he added.
“Now, we are seeing a new phase in the negotiations between Turkey and the other foreign powers. All the dynamics suggest that all the foreign powers prefer some sort of peace at least for the foreseeable future.”
