AU welcomes Libya ceasefire deal, urges external parties to refrain from interfering

African Union Chairperson, Cyril Ramaphosa, has welcomed the signing of a Libya agreement, which ill see a countrywide and permanent cease-fire  between rival forces in the north African country.

In a statement, the South African President says he’s delighted because this signals that the plea to silence guns in Africa is seeing the light of day.

“We congratulate all signatories for agreeing to this groundbreaking permanent ceasefire agreement. The signing of this agreement is an important step towards Silencing the Guns in Africa. We further support the appeal by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for all stakeholders, regional and international actors to respect the provisions of the cease-fire agreement and ensure its implementation without delay in order to bring an end to this conflict. This includes ensuring the full and unconditional respect of the UN Security Council arms embargo,” Ramaphosa says.

The African Union says the ceasefire agreement, its enforcement and observation is a critical first step in creating conducive conditions for lasting peace. It paves the way for the resumption of the intra-Libyan dialogue, which is the only legitimate platform that can produce a durable Libyan-owned political solution.

In his capacity as the AU Chairperson, Ramaphosa has stressed the need for external parties to respect internal affairs of Libya and Africa and refrain from interfering. He also emphasised the importance of AU/UN collaboration in supporting the Libyan parties in search for a political solution.

President Ramaphosa concluded, “Guided by the spirit of fraternity, and the principles of solidarity and cooperation, the AU stands ready to accompany the Libyan people on this journey towards peace, national reconciliation and unity.”

The news of a Libya ceasefire was announced in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday.

Analysis on Libya’s ceasefire agreement with Ebrahim Deen: