UNSMIL hails Morocco's unwavering support for UN efforts in Libya
Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - Acting head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and Deputy Special Representative of Secretary-General, Stéphanie Williams, said in Rabat on Thursday that Morocco is providing unwavering and continuous support for UN efforts in Libya.
"The declaration of the President of the Presidential Council of the GNA, Fayez al-Sarraj, and that of the President of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, for a ceasefire and a return to the political process, were very courageous calls that we must abide by," said Williams.
In a press conference at the end of her talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans living abroad, Nasser Bourita, Ms. Williams maintained that "for too long, Libya has been an international history, we now have the opportunity to make it a Libyan history".
"The Libyans are very happy to know that I am in Morocco because they are aware that the Kingdom has a great history in supporting UN processes", especially since Morocco is the cradle of the Skhirat Political Agreement'', noted Ms. Williams.
When the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, addressed the Security Council last month, he indicated that "time is not in our favour," she recalled, believing that the evolution of the situation on the ground corroborates the Secretary-General's remarks.
"That is why we must act collectively with friends of Libya to achieve an inclusive political solution, thought by the Libyans for the Libyans", underlined the UN official.
"I am very grateful for the consultations I had with Mr. Bourita and I am confident in the possibility of working together to build this inclusive dialogue and this Libyan history," she added.
She deplored the fact that Libya is facing a terrible economic crisis as conflicts are now threatening central Libya and, in particular, the region of Sirte, which has 130,000 civilians at risk, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic which is getting out of control, given the exponential evolution of contamination, especially in the south of the country.
Given the internal dynamics, the "courageous" rapprochement between the Libyan parties, the growing frustration with the internal situation of the country and the external interventions in the conflict, "we must move quickly to find a solution to the crisis", pleaded Ms Williams.
UNSMIL's plan, since the Berlin Conference last January, is to broaden the field of possibilities, while benefiting from the experiences accumulated during the processes already initiated, with as a cornerstone an inclusive dialogue between all stakeholders in order to find a solution, she argued.
She wished to thank the Kingdom of Morocco, as well as King Mohammed VI, for its unwavering and continuous support for the efforts of the United Nations in Libya.
Ms. Williams is visiting the Kingdom as part of the consultations she is conducting with the various Libyan parties as well as with regional and international partners in order to find a Libyan-style solution.
-0- PANA AD/AT/IN/JSG/SOC/KND/VAO 28Aug2020
