Libya factions reject UN deal, envoy vows to continue efforts
October 21, 2015, 10:25 pm

New Dawn Libya fighters forced the Western-backed government out of the capital Tripoli a year ago. Both factions rejected a UN power-sharing peace plan [Xinhua]

Following the capture and extra-judicial killing of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi at the hands of Western-supported rebels in 2011, rival warring factions tore the country into two defacto states – each with its own parliament, prime minister and banking system.

The Western-recognized and backed Council of Deputies (also known as the Parliament) lost much territory and was forced to relinquish control of the capital Tripoli before retreating to the eastern city of Tobruk near Egypt, an ally.

The Islamist faction of New Dawn Libya, which runs Tripoli as the General National Congress, says it rejected the peace deal because it wanted amendments to the treaty.

But UN envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon has said he would not amend the document.

On Thursday, Leon told reporters in Tunis that he will not give up on mediating a peace deal to end the brutal fighting which has killed and displaced hundreds of thousands.

He said: “The international community, the Security Council is saying this cannot happen.”

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that EU diplomats are considering a draft document which calls for a modest deployment of civilian and/or military peacekeeping mission to stabilize Libya but only if a ceasefire between the rival governments can be maintained.

The EU is also concerned about Libya being used as a launchpad for human traffickers who have used unstable boats to transport hundreds of thousands of refugees to European shores such as Greece and Italy.

In July, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini officially request a UN Security Council mandate to include a military option to pursue and arrest human traffickers in the Mediterranean, as well as destroy their naval crafts – some off Libyan waters.

Mogherini also opened diplomatic channels with North African nations in this regard.

Libya opposed the idea of military action.

Western intelligence agencies have also warned that the political and security vacuum has given rise to groups associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or ISIS).

In the past year, ISIL in Libya has attacked both ruling factions and carried out attacks against diplomatic missions.

Although, New Dawn is an Islamist rebel group, it is not affiliated with ISIL.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies