"International Community Agrees Not to Supply Weapons to Libya, but..." (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Twelve countries including Germany, France, Russia, and Turkey have agreed to comply with the United Nations' arms export ban to mediate the Libyan civil war. While this is seen as the first step toward ending the Libyan civil war, there are concerns that substantial peace is still far off.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 19th (local time), German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres held a press conference after talks in Berlin, Germany, announcing that major countries and neighboring states of Libya agreed to ban arms exports to Libya and to enable both sides to reach a ceasefire. The agreement involved not only the surrounding major powers and parties but also the United Nations, the European Union (EU), and the African Union.

Chancellor Merkel said, "We all agreed that a political solution is necessary (to resolve the Libyan issue)," adding, "Recent developments have confirmed that the problem cannot be solved through military means." Secretary-General Guterres stated, "All participants must continue to exert pressure to achieve a complete ceasefire agreement."

In addition to the arms embargo, the related countries agreed to establish a separate military committee in Geneva soon to negotiate a ceasefire.

Libya has been divided since 2014 into the Government of National Accord (GNA), which controls the west, and the Libyan National Army (LNA), which controls the east, following the death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi during the Arab Spring in 2011. The GNA, recognized by the UN as the legitimate government, has been led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, while the LNA, classified as a rebel force, has been led by Commander Khalifa Haftar.

Although discussions to resolve the civil war have begun, doubts about their effectiveness remain significant.

So far, the Libyan conflict has shown characteristics of both a civil war and an international war. The GNA, recognized as the legitimate government, received support from Turkey and Qatar, while the LNA was backed by Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Even within Europe, support varied by country; for example, Italy supported the GNA, whereas France sided with the LNA.

Although neighboring parties agreed to non-intervention such as arms exports, the path ahead remains difficult.

There are criticisms that there are no punitive measures for violating the arms embargo. Earlier, CNN reported that the draft agreement included sanctions against parties violating the arms embargo. However, Chancellor Merkel stated, "No special sanctions for violations of the embargo have been discussed." Furthermore, there is no clear solution to issues such as mercenaries and arms smuggling, which are other routes for military inflows.

Above all, there is no willingness for dialogue between the parties to the civil war. Both Prime Minister al-Sarraj and Commander Haftar were in Berlin but reportedly refused to even face each other. Because of this, Chancellor Merkel and others reportedly met with them separately to explain the progress of negotiations.

The enforceability of the agreement made by the related countries is also in question. There has been no discussion on how to withdraw the weapons that these countries have supported so far. Chancellor Merkel said, "What to do with the weapons already supplied is a practical issue on the path to a ceasefire agreement."

The New York Times (NYT) reported, "Even as negotiations are ongoing, the rebel forces launched additional attacks toward Libya’s capital, Tripoli," adding, "It is uncertain whether the upcoming talks will lead to sustainable peace in the near future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.