Libya Prepares to Deploy Local, Int’l Observers to Monitor Ceasefire

A photo distributed by the unity government of the meeting chaired by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli
A photo distributed by the unity government of the meeting chaired by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli
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Libya Prepares to Deploy Local, Int’l Observers to Monitor Ceasefire

A photo distributed by the unity government of the meeting chaired by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli
A photo distributed by the unity government of the meeting chaired by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli

Libya's warring parties are preparing for the first time to deploy local and international observers to monitor the ceasefire.

A committee was formed along with the Joint Military Commission (5 + 5) to oversee the monitoring of the ceasefire concluded last year, according to a military source.

The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the committee included five officers of the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and five other soldiers from the forces affiliated with the unity government.

He indicated that international observers of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) were selected to join the monitoring process.

Last April, the UN Security Council approved the proposal of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, to deploy 60 observers in Sirte to monitor the ceasefire.

On Wednesday, the 5+5 Commission condemned hostile acts that aim to undermine the unity of the country and its stability on the Coastal Road between east and west Libya.

Some fans of sports clubs put photos of Khalifa Haftar on the highway so cars can pass over them before removing them after a match last Sunday.

The Commission warned in its statement that the chaos on the coastal road was a hate act aiming to destabilize Libya. It condemned all kinds of unrest and division on the highway or any other area in the country.

The statement added that the JMC calls on all relevant authorities to follow up on this issue and bring the perpetrators to justice so that the road remains safe and secure for all Libyans.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, said that the High Council of State in Tripoli will not discuss the presidential elections law, stressing that it was up to the parliament to issue laws.

"The State Council is an advisory body, and we demand its participation within the limits of its powers," stressed Saleh.

The House of Representatives suspended its discussions on the draft law. However, the draft budget law amended by the unity government headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh was referred to a special parliamentary committee for review.

In a letter to Dbeibeh, the head of the council said: "Since the budget bill has not been approved, you are required to spend from the previous year's budget, until the new general budget law is issued."

The clauses of the government's budget, estimated at LD111 billion, show that LD186 million have been allocated for the armed militias in Tripoli.

The Stability Support Apparatus, led by Ghneiwa al-Kikli, will receive LD40 million, and the Special Deterrence Forces of Abdel Raouf Kara, will get about LD146 million.

Local media outlets warned that such funds could enhance the influence of the militias and increase the country’s chaos.



Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
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Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo

Lebanon's new government will negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a new program and will work to deal with the country's financial default and public debt, according to a policy statement approved by the cabinet late on Monday.

The statement, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, said the government would work for an economical revival that could only be achieved through restructuring the banking sector.

Lebanon has been in deep economic crisis since 2019, when its financial system collapsed under the weight of massive state debts, prompting a sovereign default in 2020 and freezing ordinary depositors out of their savings in the banking system.

Beirut reached a draft funding deal with IMF in 2022 - contingent on reforms that authorities failed to deliver.

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who took office as part of a new government agreed earlier this month, told Reuters an IMF mission is expected to visit Lebanon in March.

Jaber said he had met the IMF's resident representative in Lebanon, Frederico Lima, and confirmed that the government plans to move ahead with reforms.

Lebanon's political landscape has been turned on its head since the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, long a dominant player in Lebanese politics, was badly pummelled in last year's war with Israel.

Reflecting the shift in the power balance, the government policy statement did not include language used in previous years that was seen to legitimize a role for Hezbollah in defending Lebanon, saying instead "we want a state that has the decision of war and peace".

The statement said it was required to adopt a national security strategy and a foreign policy that works to 'neutralize' Lebanon from conflicts.

In the field of energy, the Lebanese government will seek to resume work in oil and gas exploration, according to the cabinet statement. It said the government planned to establish a Ministry of Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

With a new administration in neighboring Syria, the statement said the Lebanese government believed it has an opportunity to start a serious dialogue aimed at controlling and demarcating the borders and working to resolve the issue of displaced Syrians in Lebanon.