Macron hosts world powers to boost stability and secure elections in Libya
French President Emmanuel Macron receives leaders and diplomats in Paris for an international conference on Friday aimed at ensuring Libya adheres to a plan to hold elections in December and turn a new page in its history.
The hydrocarbon-rich North African country has been embroiled in civil war since the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in a 2011 uprising, with bloodshed on competing Libyan factions and Islamist groups, as well as regional powers.
Libya’s election scheduled for December 24 was set through a UN-backed roadmap adopted last year, which also established an interim unity government to replace rival administrations in the east and west that had been at war for years.
There are also fears whether the various factions will recognize the poll results, which could mark a turning point for a country that has become an important starting point for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean into Europe.
Key players attending the meeting will include US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is on a visit to France with the aim of improving ties, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, one of the most important allies. near Paris in the Middle East.
A French presidential official told reporters in a briefing before the meeting that although the elections were close, the situation remained fragile. There were some actors willing to take advantage of any ambiguity to advance their own interests, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“They are obviously waiting to ambush and try to derail the electoral process,” the official said.
A final statement may warn potential spoilers that they could face sanctions, diplomats said.
Almost 30 countries and organizations will be in Paris, including Libya’s neighbors and countries that have been divided by the conflict.
Turkish and Russian leaders absent
Despite Paris initially aiming for Turkish and Russian heads of state to attend, both Ankara and Moscow have sent lower-level representatives, perhaps demonstrating the complications with the removal of foreign forces.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on a rare visit to Western Europe amid mounting tensions, represents Moscow.
Turkey only sends its Deputy Foreign Minister, Sedat Onal.
Russia’s Wagner Group mercenaries are entrenched alongside the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which was supported in the war by Moscow, along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
The former Tripoli government was supported by regular Turkish forces in Libya as advisers, and by allied Syrian fighters, the Turkish government said.
Diplomats have said Turkey is unlikely to act before departures from the east take place.
French officials have endeavored to present the conference as an international effort, co-chaired by France, Germany, Italy, the United Nations and Libya itself.
But it represents the latest foray into high-stakes international diplomacy by Macron, who is expected to seek re-election in April and whose country also assumes the EU presidency in January.
In May 2018, a year after his tenure, Macron also convened top Libyan leaders to a conference in Paris where they agreed to hold elections that year.
Since then, France has faced accusations that it favored the Moscow-educated layman Haftar in the conflict against the UN-backed government in Tripoli.
Despite the fact that French weapons were found at a base used by pro-Haftar forces in 2019, Paris has rejected the claims.
Speculation about candidates, voting times
Earlier this week, Libya opened registration for electoral candidates, and there was speculation about possible presidential offers from eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar and Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, both deeply divisive figures.
The schedule is also unclear: the presidential and parliamentary elections were scheduled for December 24.
In early October, parliament postponed legislative elections until January, although world powers and the UN want them to be held simultaneously.
Libya will be represented by Mohamed al-Menfi, the head of the transitional presidential council who serves as head of state before the elections, as well as by Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah.
Local media have reported that Dbeibah will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush, despite her suspension by the presidential council in a move that highlighted tensions between the prime minister and the presidential council.
A prominent regional absentee is Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who was invited by Paris but is staying away after being offended by Macron’s comments criticizing his country’s “political-military system.”
The dispute prompted a rare expression of regret from the Elysee, who said it “regretted” the misunderstandings caused by the comments.
Chancellor Ramtane Lamamra welcomed the response as “respectful” and confirmed that Algerian officials would attend the conference, though not Tebboune himself.
( Jowharwith AFP and REUTERS)
