Rabat – A third round of talks between Libyan delegations from the Tripoli-based High Council of State and the Parliament of Tobruk began Thursday evening in Bouznika, Morocco.
The negotiations are part of the Libyan parties’ preparation for discussions set for this month in Tunisia.
“The Bouznika dialogue opened a positive dynamic which crystallized in other meetings and resulted in positive results. We have gone from pessimism to hope,” Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita said Thursday, welcoming the third round of talks.
“Morocco has a strong conviction that the High Council of State and the Libyan House of Representatives, with their territorial and popular legitimacy, are essential to achieve a solution to the Libyan crisis,” he underlined.
The rival Libyan parties who arrived in Morocco on Wednesday previously engaged in two productive rounds of talks in Bouznika from September 6-10 and October 2-6.
After both rounds of dialogue, the delegations said they reached a comprehensive agreement on mechanisms for appointments to positions of sovereignty.
Khaled Al Mishri, the head of the Libyan High Council of State, emphasized the importance of the Bouznika dialogue in late October. He said the discussions freed Libya from a deadlock.
The President of the Tobruk Parliament, Aguila Saleh Issa, also expressed appreciation for the talks. He said in October that the Libyan parties were satisfied with the results of Morocco’s initiative.
The delegations vowed to continue discussions in order to reach a “global consensus” on the positions of sovereignty in accordance with Article 15 of the Skhirat Agreement of December 2015.
Given the success of Morocco’s initiative, local media outlets referencing daily outlet Assabah suggest Libya may open a consulate general in Dakhla or Laayoune, southern Morocco, as a demonstration of its support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. Libya would follow in the footsteps of the UAE and 15 African countries if it decides to do so.
Morocco’s approach to the Libyan conflict
Morocco, under the aegis of the UN, spearheaded the Skhirat Agreement, which provides the framework for negotiating a political settlement to the Libyan conflict.
The agreement put in place an interim Libyan government, the Government of National Accord (GNA). It also established a ceasefire between the warring parties.
The Skhirat Agreement remains to date the only internationally-recognized legal framework for solving the Libyan crisis.
Morocco’s approach to the Libya conflict is based on three principles enshrined in the Skhirat Agreement.
Rabat argues that a key factor in reaching a sustainable solution to the crisis is the absence of foreign meddling. Such interference has shown to only bring humanitarian destruction and socio-economic strife.
Morocco also favors a political solution as opposed to a military one.
Above all, the agreement prioritizes a peaceful political solution that ensures Libya’s sovereignty and the fundamental rights of its people.
By hosting a third round of talks in Bouznika, Morocco further consolidates its key role in promoting stability in Libya and the greater Maghreb region.
