24 July – 30 July: UN Envoy proposes a “triple action” to end Libya conflict

Jul 30, 2019 | International actors

On 29 July, in a lengthy address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the UN Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame proposed a three-part immediate action to end the current conflict, which has left nearly 1100 dead, including 106 civilians. First, he called for a truce to occur in Libya to mark the Eid al-Adha holiday, expected to fall on or around 10 August, coupled with confidence building efforts such as prisoner exchanges. Second, following the truce, Salame called for a high-level meeting of countries involved in the Libyan crisis to ensure the end of fighting, enforce the arms embargo, and promote strict adherence to international human rights law. Third, he said this international meeting should be followed by a meeting of key Libyan figures from across the country to “agree on comprehensive elements for the way forward.” Salame dubbed the initiative a “triple action” and said it will require consensus within the UNSC and from its member states who are influential on the ground in Libya.

On 28 July, Salame met with the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar, at his headquarters in Rajma, in eastern Libya. According to UNSMIL, the two discussed the latest developments in Libya and ways to return to peace and dialogue, while Salame “warned against the consequences of the escalation of fighting and the increasing foreign interference.”