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Libyan Talks Hosted by Morocco Kept under Wraps

Morocco's foreign minister is seen with the Libyan delegations.
Morocco's foreign minister is seen with the Libyan delegations.
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Libyan Talks Hosted by Morocco Kept under Wraps

Morocco's foreign minister is seen with the Libyan delegations.
Morocco's foreign minister is seen with the Libyan delegations.

The ongoing dialogue between Libya’s High Council of State and east-based parliament continued in Morocco on Monday with participants remaining tight-lipped over the proceedings.

Member of the High Council of State delegation, Abdulsalam al-Safrani said the discussions were being held in “positive” conditions.

Speaking from Bouznika south of Rabat where the dialogue is being held, he expressed his optimism that “understandings may be reached.”

The talks are focusing on the political and institutional division, he revealed.

The delegations addressed the issue of audit authorities “because they feel that this is a matter that concerns all Libyans. It is because of them that services deteriorated in Libya, leading to the spread of corruption,” he remarked.

The two parties had kicked off their talks on Sunday, met again on Monday and are due to meet again on Tuesday. They hailed Morocco’s “honest” intentions and keenness on providing the necessary fraternal conditions to hold their discussions in hopes of reaching a solution to the Libyan crisis.

In Egypt, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri telephoned his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita to tackle the latest developments on Libya as part of their efforts to reach a settlement in the country.

An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Shoukri underscored Cairo’s firm support to these efforts that are aimed at reaching a political solution that would preserve Libya’s sovereignty and unity, restore security and stability, safeguard its resources and confront terrorism, extremism and foreign meddling.

They agreed to continue their consultations and coordination and intensify their contacts with influential political forces in Libya and with international partners, including the United Nations mission in Libya, African Union and Arab League.

The Arab League, for its part, hailed the ongoing talks to push forward inter-Libyan dialogue. In a statement ahead of the Arab foreign ministers meeting on Tuesday, it said it was closely following the Bouznika talks, calling on all Libyan parties to show good intentions towards all efforts aimed at reaching a national and complete solution to their country’s conflict.

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‘War Ruined Me’: Lebanon’s Farmers Mourn Lost Season

This photo shows burnt agricultural fields that were hit during Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun, on October 30, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
This photo shows burnt agricultural fields that were hit during Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun, on October 30, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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‘War Ruined Me’: Lebanon’s Farmers Mourn Lost Season

This photo shows burnt agricultural fields that were hit during Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun, on October 30, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
This photo shows burnt agricultural fields that were hit during Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun, on October 30, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

Lebanese farmer Abu Taleb briefly returned to his orchard last month to salvage an avocado harvest but ran away empty handed as soon as Israeli air raids began.

"The war broke out just before the first harvest season," said Abu Taleb, displaced from the village of Tayr Debba near the southern city Tyre.

"When I went back in mid-October, it was deserted... it was scary," said the father of two, who is now sheltering in Tripoli more than 160 kilometers to the north and asked to be identified by a pseudonym because of security concerns.

Abu Taleb said his harvesting attempt was interrupted by an Israeli raid on the neighboring town of Markaba.

He was forced back to Tripoli without the avocados he usually exports every year.

Agricultural regions in Lebanon have been caught in the crossfire since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah ramped up in October last year, a full-scale war breaking out on September 23.

The UN's agriculture agency, FAO, said more than 1,909 hectares of farmland in south Lebanon had been damaged or left unharvested between October last year and September 28.

The conflict has also displaced more than half a million people, including farmers who abandoned their crops just when they were ready to harvest.

Hani Saad had to abandon 120 hectares of farmland in the southern region of Nabatiyeh, which is rich in citrus and avocado plantations.

"If the ceasefire takes place within a month, I can save the harvest, otherwise, the whole season is ruined," said Saad who has been displaced to the coastal city of Jounieh, north of Beirut.

When an Israeli strike sparked a fire in one of Saad's orchards, he had to pay out of his own pocket for the fuel of the fire engine that extinguished the blaze.

His employees, meanwhile, have fled. Of 32 workers, 28 have left, mainly to neighboring Syria.

- 'Worst phase' -

Israeli strikes have put at least two land crossings with Syria out of service, blocking a key export route for produce and crops.

Airlines have suspended flights to Lebanon as insurance costs soar.

This has dealt a deadly blow to agricultural exports, most of which are destined for Gulf Arab states.

Fruit exporter Chadi Kaadan said exports to the Gulf have dropped by more than 50 percent.

The supply surplus in the local market has caused prices to plummet at home, he added.

"In the end, it is the farmer who loses," said Saad who used to earn $5,000 a day before the war started. Today, he barely manages $300.

While avocados can stay on the tree for months, they are starting to run out of water following Israeli strikes on irrigation channels, Saad said.

Citrus fruits and cherimoyas have already started to fall.

"The war has ruined me. I spend my time in front of the TV waiting for a ceasefire so I can return to my livelihood," Saad told AFP.

Gaby Hage, a resident of the Christian town of Rmeish, on the border with Israel, is one of the few farmers who decided to stay in south Lebanon.

He has only been able to harvest 100 of his 350 olive trees, which were left untended for a year because of cross-border strikes.

"I took advantage of a slight lull in the fighting to pick what I could," he told AFP.

Hage said agriculture was a lifeline for the inhabitants of his town, which has been cut off by the war.

Ibrahim Tarchichi, president of the farmers' union in the Bekaa Valley, which was hit hard by the strikes, believes that agriculture in Lebanon is going through the "worst phase" of its recent history.

"I have experienced four wars, it has never been this serious," he said.