A Promising Agreement For Libya

This Sunday, an agreement between Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) and Tobruk-based House of Representatives was signed in Tunis. If the deal gains support among the Libyan population and institutions, it has a good chance of marking a historical moment in the country that will revive hope for a more united and stable government. The main objective of the agreement is to unite the government and to conduct elections within two years. The two parties agreed to form a commission, which would consist of 10 members, 5 from the parliament and 5 from the council, and would assist in choosing a “government of national reconciliation” (Al Jazeera). The cabinet will consist of the head and the two vice-heads of government, and the commission will be in charge of the constitution amendments (Tunis Afrique Presse).

Since 2011, Libya has been torn among competing militias, which dragged the country deeper and deeper into the chaos of political instability. According to Al Jazeera, the rivalry between the GNC and the House of Representatives broke out as a result of the two forming opposing governments in a pursuit of “control of the oil-rich North African nation” more than a year ago. The UN tried to encourage reconciliation between the two parties back in October but to no avail. This time, the agreement is not affiliated with the UN’s peacekeeping efforts in Libya, however, the timing could not be better since the UN will host peace talks on December 13 in Rome, where the two sides will meet again and hopefully recommit to their collective stabilizing efforts (BBC News). The two parties are hopeful that this deal will work out and will lead to the next step forward and further changes necessary for stabilizing the country. After the talks, the first deputy head of GNC Mohammed Awad Abdul-Sadiq, said: “This is a historic moment the Libyans were waiting for, the Arabs were waiting for and the world was waiting for” (Al Jazeera).

Considering devastating events piling up on the news, states simply cannot afford having intra-state conflicts when there is an increasing uncertainty surrounding the question of international security. If the deal is honoured and supported, it might put an end to the country divided in a fight for power and lay a ground for a single government united in a fight for peace and stability.

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