CAIRO, Feb 26 (NNN-MENA) – The League of Arab States renewed its call for a permanent cessation of military operations in Libya.
In a statement, the pan-Arab organisation appreciated the progress made during the second round of the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission (JMC) talks.
The Arab League also welcomed the announcement by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) that rival Libyan parties came up with a draft cease-fire agreement, to facilitate the return of displaced people.
It urged parties involved to urgently resume discussions on the draft, in order to endorse it and agree on permanent and comprehensive arrangements to enforce and monitor the cease-fire.
UNSMIL announced that, UN-backed government and the eastern-based army of Libya, prepared a draft cease-fire agreement, to facilitate the safe return of civilians to their areas with the implementation of a joint monitoring mechanism, under the auspices of UNSMIL and the JMC.
UNSMIL also renewed its call for rival parties to fully abide by the current truce and the protection of the civilian population and properties and vital infrastructure.
The eastern-based army has been leading a military campaign since Apr, 2019, in and around the capital Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed government.
The fighting killed and injured thousands of people and forced more than 150,000 civilians to flee their homes.
The rivals have agreed to a cease fire on Jan 12. However, both parties exchanged accusations of breaching the truce.– NNN-MENA
