The capital of Tunisia hosted an international conference on “Political Stability in Libya” on Friday, titled “Stability and Development in Libya: A Visionary Outlook for the Future Generations”.
The event saw participation from figures across all Libyan cities, signaling a call for unity and stability, and an end to transitional phases.
Experts and analysts from Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Niger, Russia, China, the European Union, Britain, and South Africa also participated, alongside members from the Libyan House of Representatives and the High Council of State, civil organizations, the Libyan Council of Elders and Sheikhs, and representatives from the United Nations mission in Libya.
The conference, which runs until Saturday evening, was initiated by the International Center for Security and Military Strategic Studies in Tunisia and the North Africa Foundation for Youth Care in Libya.
It aims to discuss ways to overcome political stagnation, explore solutions for adopting a new Libyan constitution, and conduct parliamentary and presidential elections to conclude the transitional period.
According to statements from Libyan parties, the conference was marked by an atmosphere of optimism, considered by some as the beginning of serious political consultation, overcoming bilateral differences, and attempts to divide Libya into east and west.
However, some experts at the conference believe solving the Libyan crisis is more complex than just convening an international meeting behind closed doors, as “the situation on the ground is more complicated, and overcoming it requires mutual concessions from various political spectra and social forces.”
The conference extensively explored aspects of stability in Libya, including political and security stability for development, ending foreign guardianship, establishing international partnerships based on mutual respect, and enhancing the role of women and youth in peacebuilding and stability, as well as Libyan reconciliation.
On the first day, several interventions focused on achieving stability in neighboring Libya, including a speech by Badra Gaaloul, President of the International Center for Strategic and International Studies in Tunisia.
She presented a methodology that could help focus on the elements of political stability in Libya by involving all spectrums of the Libyan political and civil scene, considering ongoing regional and international changes on political, strategic, and economic levels.
She referred to the conference’s “success” in uniting Libyan political rivals, especially representatives from Southern Libya, due to its political and geographical significance.
Khaled Gwell, a member of the conference’s preparatory committee and Libyan political activist, stated that Libya’s stability “begins with national reconciliation among various parties, and revisiting relations with different components of the international community involved in Libyan affairs, to become relationships based on mutual respect and joint cooperation, away from any intervention.”
He emphasized that achieving this goal requires “political reconciliation that also severs ties with foreign agendas that hinder unity and deepen the divide among the people.”
Salehin Abdel Nabi, a member of the Libyan House of Representatives, expressed hope for reaching agreements that achieve national unity, security, and stability for Libya, free from foreign interventions that could undermine social peace.
This hope was echoed by Imhamed Zidan Imhamed, representative of the Libyan Council of Elders and Sheikhs, who called for Libyan unity and addressing problems that hinder national unity and economic development, affirming that “Libyans are the decision-makers, committed to achieving comprehensive national unity.”
It’s worth noting that Tunisian President Kais Saied met with Nabil Ammar, the Tunisian Foreign Minister, during the first day of this international conference.
The meeting discussed the outcomes of Tunisia’s participation in the African Union High-Level Committee meeting on Libya, held in Brazzaville on February 5th.
During the meeting, Saied reiterated Tunisia’s firm stance that the solution in Libya “can only be purely Libyan, stemming solely from the will of the Libyan people, and any intervention in Libyan affairs only complicates the situation further.”
He reminded that some conferences were held in the absence of Libyan representatives, leading to no solution, and stressed “Tunisia’s commitment to the unity of the Libyan state.”
