Libyan youth call for sustainability of the ceasefire agreement and inclusion in state building

 

Twenty-five young men and women joined UNSMIL’s team in Tripoli in a workshop to promote the Ceasefire Agreement and its full implementation including the withdrawal of the mercenaries and foreign fighters. They have expressed concerns over weapons proliferation, and the effects of this on their communities. 

Facilitated by the Deputy Head of the Ceasefire Monitoring Component of the Mission, Mohammed Al Najjar, participants were briefed of the work of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) and its efforts to sustain the Ceasefire Agreement and establish a database on the mercenaries and foreign fighters present in Libya. The participants stressed the need to repatriate mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign forces to their home countries. 

Participants focused on key challenges around maintaining the ceasefire agreement in relation to peacebuilding in Libya, and the measures which should be taken to resolve issues around mercenaries and foreign fighters. 

Other youth highlighted that they felt UNSMIL had strongly supported and facilitated negotiation to resolve the CBL crisis in September, similar levels of effort are needed on the political track and elections.  

Participants were also briefed about the UN-facilitated political process, announced in December, which aims to support Libyan stakeholders in finding a viable path towards inclusive and transparent national elections. An Advisory Committee, consisting of widely respected and independent Libyan legal and political experts, is being established to identify options for addressing the contentious issues in the current electoral laws and is not about establishing a new government. Additionally, a structured dialogue will be established to include youth, women, and other voices across communities to consider long-standing issues. As part of the political process, the Mission will also work in parallel on economic reforms and national reconciliations with national and regional partners. 

“Ending the violence will save lives,” said one male participant, adding that “we need to rebuild and unify state institutions. Violence is a threat to national security and human and civil rights. We need mechanisms to deescalate tensions and Libyan youth can play a constructive role in new Libya.” 

The fourteen female and eleven male participants worked in teams to identify recommendations for UNSMIL to take forward: 

• The presence of mercenaries and foreign fighters violates Libyan sovereignty. Therefore, efforts should be intensified with relevant Libyan authorities, including the 5+5 JMC, to secure their withdrawal and build the capacity of state institutions for ceasefire monitoring and removal of these elements and forces. 

• Young people should develop social cohesion initiatives in their communities to raise awareness about the challenges and help develop a new generation of leaders.  

• Young Libyans are often joining armed formations for economic reasons. More job opportunities need to be identified to help them develop other sources of income and reintegrate them in state institutions. 

• Increase social media campaigns and dialogues to educate communities on the negative impact of mercenaries and foreign fighters or joining armed groups on social peace in the country. 

• Fake news is a serious issues and social media platforms should do more to prevent hate speech. Youth should be better equipped to report it and highlight it when it occurs. Necessary laws should be enacted to combat this phenomenon. 

• Develop inclusive mechanisms to ensure women, youth and Civil Society Organizations voices are heard. 

• Use technology more to engage more effectively with youth, develop platforms to allow for the exchange of opinions and dialogue to discuss the impact of hate speech. 

The workshop was a part of a series organized by UNSMIL under its YouEngage initiative, aiming to engage 1,000 young men and women across Libya on different topics. The goal is to gather their ideas and recommendations to inform UNSMIL’s youth-oriented strategies, promote inclusion, and amplify the voices of those who are traditionally excluded. To date, UNSMIL has met with over 600 youth from across Libya. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).