AU, UN reiterates support to negotiated political settlement in Libya

The annual meeting of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) has concluded with the two sides agreeing on three issues regarding the situation in Libya, the foremost of which are enhancing the ceasefire, supporting political settlement efforts, and preparing for the national reconciliation conference.

The announcement came in a joint statement issued on Monday, following the sixth annual conference of the AU and the UN, hosted by the AU’s HQ in Addis Ababa.

The communique presented by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Musa Faki Mahamat, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, contained 23 points.

In their joint statement, the two parties attached importance to the situation in Libya as they referred to an agreement between the AU and the UN to continue working closely with the Libyan actors to preserve the ceasefire agreement and enhance its implementation.

They also affirmed their continued support for the ongoing Libyan-owned and led political process facilitated by the United Nations and for the AU efforts to organize a national reconciliation conference.

Faki and Guterres also expressed deep concern about the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation, besides the growing threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism in the region, as they stressed the importance of addressing the underlying conditions leading to the spread of terrorism.