28 October – 3 November: JMC talks in Ghadames

Nov 4, 2020 | Libyan actors

On 2 November, delegations from the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Libyan National Army (LNA) met in the Libyan town of Ghadames to conduct the fifth round of talks within the framework of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC). The meeting, which was to last until 4 November, involved discussions on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached during the fourth round, including through the establishment of sub-committees and on monitoring and verification mechanisms for the agreement. Acting Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Williams was also reported to have arrived in Ghadames for the talks.

On 30 October, a spokesperson for the GNA, Galib al-Zaklai, announced that GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj had taken back his decision to resign. Al-Zaklai said Serraj would remain until the ongoing intra-Libyan dialogues ended, and added that Serraj hoped that ‘the dialogue committee will resume its historic responsibility away from personal and regional interests…so that the country can overcome the current crisis in peace and harmony’. On 31 October, Serraj met with Williams in Tripoli. According to a statement issued by the GNA, the two parties said the intra-Libyan dialogue set to begin in person on 9 November ‘represents a historic opportunity for Libyan politicians to [reach] a political solution without foreign interference.’ They also agreed that any political solution should include all Libyans and a ‘clear roadmap that leads to national elections based on the constitution’.