Libya factions agree to plan to bring stability, election to war-torn country

Rival Libyan factions agreed on Tuesday on a declaration that would create a political framework to pave the way for UN-backed elections in December to end the country's seven-year-old conflict.

The oil-producing nation splintered following the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled Moammar Gadhafi, and since 2014 has been divided between competing political and military groups based in Tripoli and the east.

The United Nations is leading an effort to reunify Libya and to organize national elections.

The Paris meeting, included eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar, Tripoli Prime Minister Fayez Seraj, and the leaders of rival parliamentary assemblies, aimed to urge them to agree general principles for ending the conflict and moving toward elections.

"Against the backdrop of a Libyan-owned process and the full engagement of all Libyan parties involved, we committed in Paris on May 29, 2018 … to work constructively with the UN to credible and peaceful elections as soon as possible and to respect the results of these elections when they occur," an eight-point joint statement by the four stakeholders read.

In the declaration, the Libyan leaders committed to accepting electoral results and ensuring funds and "strong security arrangements" for the voting. They also commit to work on "phasing out parallel government" and on "the unifying of the Libyan Central Bank and other institutions."

Previous declaration had little effect

The declaration was not signed as originally planned. It calls for the immediate unification of the central bank and the phasing out of parallel government and institutions. It makes a commitment to support the creation of a national army and encourage a dialogue on the issue in Cairo.

"The parties have committed to set the constitutional basis for elections and adopt the necessary electoral laws by September 16, 2018 and hold Parliamentary and Presidential elections on December 10, 2018," the statement said.

It agrees to an inclusive political national conference, but unlike an earlier draft seen by Reuters it no longer sets a timeframe. The final statement no longer directly threatens international sanctions on those who impede the accord or dispute the outcome of elections, saying only that they will be held accountable.

The agreement said little about what could prove to be the biggest challenge to holding elections and reuniting the country — an array of Islamist, tribal and other militias that hold real power on the ground.

French President Emmanuel Macron brought Sarraj and Hifter together for a conference last July, producing a 10-point joint declaration that was the first of its kind between the rivals. It, too, looked toward elections, and also a ceasefire. That accord changed little on the ground in Libya, however, and critics dismissed the conference as a photo opportunity.

In addition to the strife in recent years, Libya has emerged as a major conduit for African migrants hoping to reach Europe, with teeming camps of refugee that have drawn international condemnation.