11 – 17 November: LPDF concluded in Tunis

Nov 18, 2020 | International actors

On the evening of 15 November, the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) concluded its discussions in Tunis without appointing new executive authorities for a planned fourth transitional phase. Acting Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Stephanie Williams, said that ‘no names had been discussed’ for new Presidential Council members or a new unity government. Williams added that ‘we have agreed to reconvene in about a week in a virtual meeting (to) agree on the selection mechanism for the coming authority’. Williams also said that ‘ten years of conflict cannot be resolved in one week,’ adding, ‘we still have a lot of work to do. The participants must soldier on’. Further talks would also discuss the constitutional basis for an election, Williams said.

On 12 November, GNA Defence Minister Saleh al-Deen al-Namroush met in Doha with Qatari Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdurrahman al-Thanni. The two sides discussed bilateral cooperation and relations and the latest developments on the ground in Libya, and the Qatari minister reaffirmed his country’s support for achieving stability in Libya. During the trip, the two sides signed an agreement for training and building military capacities.

On 17 November, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit the Libyan capital of Tripoli and the city of Misrata for several hours to offer ‘moral support’ to the Government of National Accord (GNA) and its aligned armed forces. This follows, on 10 November, claims that Turkish security and intelligence units arrived in Tripoli to prepare for Erdogan’s visit.