One year after the UN mediation to resolve the conflict in Libya began, the outcome is still in the balance. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) hosted the first round of dialogue on 29 September 2014. Last week, it held what lead negotiator, UN Special Representative and UNSMIL head Bernardinho Leon said would be its last.
Mr Leon has staked his own future on the successful conclusion of talks. Should they fail to yield an agreement, his tenure will “be over,” he said (MEES 18 September). Unfortunately, it is far from certain that a deal will result from the year of negotiations between the internationally recognized government in Baida and a self-declared administration, the Government of National Salvation, in Tripoli, along with a host of other groups. Major divisions persist not only between the two principal negotiators, but also within each camp. (CONTINUED - 1152 WORDS)
