Libyan Joint Military Commission Meets in Geneva to Look for a Ceasefire

Libya’s warring sides met Monday to continue to look for a permanent ceasefire during the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission organized by the United Nations. 

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Five senior officers appointed by the Government of National Accord (GNA) and five senior officers appointed by the Libyan National Army (LNA) participated in the talks, which are moderated by the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Ghassan Salame. 

The 10-member body was created during the Germany-led peace summit, held on Jan. 19, in which all countries with interests in the conflict - as well as the two warring sides - agreed to respect the disregarded international arms embargo on Libya.

Both the GNA's Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and LNA's General Kalifa Haftar sent their representatives tasked with supervising a more permanent ceasefire than the tentative truce proposed by Russia and Turkey on Jan. 8, which collapsed as Haftar’s forces continue their push to control Tripoli. 

The U.N. has warned that weapons and fighters have continued to enter Libya since the Berlin meeting, and groups loyal to Haftar have imposed a blockade on major oil ports and fields that have shut off most of Libya oil production.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Haftar for violating the truce, adding that there won’t be a resolution to the Libyan crisis through military means.

The LNA, which is backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France and Russia, has been fighting off a nine-month-long offensive over Tripoli which is the last stronghold of al Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA), which is backed by Turkey, Qatar, and Italy.

According to the U.N., more than 280 civilians and about 2,000 fighters have been killed and 146,000 Libyans displaced since Haftar launched his assault to seize the capital.