Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has reiterated that any settlement in Libya should be conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. This statement was made following his meeting in Rabat with Stephanie Khoury, the acting special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya.
According to the Maghreb Arabe Presse news agency, Bourita affirmed, "Morocco remains convinced that the UN auspices is necessary to lend legitimacy to any process and any settlement of the Libyan crisis." He stressed that, in Morocco's view, "the resolution of the Libyan crisis rests in the hands of Libyans, and the issue of legitimacy in Libya requires the holding of elections."
The meeting with Khoury provided an opportunity to "reaffirm Morocco’s steadfast position on the Libyan crisis and highlight that the current conditions in Libya are conducive to making progress in the Libyan process," Bourita added. He also noted that Morocco consistently engages with all Libyan institutions within a framework of respect and trust and maintains positive relations with all Libyan parties.
Bourita highlighted "the need to resolve the Libyan crisis, given its significant impact on security and stability in North Africa and the Sahel region."
Morocco has stepped up its mediation efforts in recent years, aiming to facilitate a political solution to the crisis in Libya. Libyan leaders, as well as UN representatives, have made several visits to Rabat in this regard.
Libya currently houses two unrecognized governments. The first, supported by the UN and led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, is based in Tripoli. The second, backed by the House of Representatives, is headquartered in Benghazi under the leadership of Osama Hammad. Since the overthrow and assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has struggled to maintain unity.
The country has been marked by a standoff between the western authorities in Tripoli and the eastern authorities supported by the Libyan National Army under the command of Marshal Khalifa Haftar. In 2021, the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Geneva elected a transitional executive, pending general elections that have yet to take place.
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Based on TASS materials