Your Excellency, Jean Claude Gakosso, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Congo, and chair of this meeting,

Distinguished Ministers and Heads of delegations of  of the Members of the AU High Level Committee on Libya,

Your Excellency Ghassan Sallame, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Libya

Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Once again, let me express my profound appreciation for the engagement and the determination that you all have shown in this meeting, which has been indeed proactive and reflective in coming to grip with the many challenges we face in the resolution of the situation in Libya. We have taken good note of your deliberations and I can assure you that the AU Commission will spare no effort for their implementation.

As you pointed it out clearly during your deliberations, the current situation in Libya requires an enhanced involvement of the African Union through its established mechanisms, in particular your Committee and the AU High Representative, and, indeed, requires a closer collaboration between the United Nations and the African Union in their efforts to address the deadlock and paralysis in the political process, the security challenges and the humanitarian plight.

I wish particularly to underscore the absolute imperative of making the national reconciliation a key objective of our common efforts toward achieving tangible progress in the political process. Creating a conducive political and security environment is a prerequisite for a successful election, an election that would bring peace to the country and not generate new controversies and division. Indeed, the national reconciliation conference should present a golden opportunity to promote confidence building among the parties and bridge existing political differences.

And here, there is no need to underline again that only Libyan stakeholders can unlock the political deadlock in their country; neither the African Union nor the United Nations or any other body can bring this magic solution to the crisis if the Libyans themselves are not committed to overcome their differences and put aside their personal interests for the sake of the broader interests of their country and the Libyan people.  However, I believe that the AU and the UN together should play a primary role in facilitating this process.

As for the electoral process and the registration of voters, I wish to applaud the efforts that have already been outlined earlier by the distinguished Foreign Minister of Libya as well as the UN Special Representative, Ghassan Salame. While I certainly do understand that holding elections before the end of the year is one way of accelerating the transition, I would like to once again emphasize that we have to make sure that necessary conditions are fulfilled for the success of the envisaged election and make it credible.

As you have unanimously underlined, the external interference, both through arms supply and financial support, activities of the external armed groups, as well as  those, within from Libya and outside the country, who are impeding the peace process in the country cannot and should not be tolerated anymore.  I took good note of your resolution to name and shame and I will take up this issue to the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) for further action.

Excellences Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me reemphasize that the challenges ahead of us, as difficult as they are, call for an even stronger determination from our continental organization in further striving for finding a lasting political solution to the conflict in Libya. I wish therefore to stress once again the importance of our collective and persistent engagement. The continuous support of the AU high-level Committee on Libya, under the leadership of the President of Congo, His Excellency Sassou Nguesso, is of great importance to our endeavours.

Let me also express our satisfaction at the harmony and the coherence that characterize currently the engagement of both the United Nations and the African Union on the situation in Libya. And here, it will be remiss of me if I don’t express my great appreciation to Professor Salame for his contribution to this end.

I thank you for your kind attention.

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