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Libya will not attend the Paris Conference on Libya if the occupying state of Israel is to take part at the invitation of France, spokesman for the National Unity Government (GNU), Mohamed Hammouda, said Tuesday.

"The government is steadfast in its position and the position of all Libyans and is committed to the Palestinian cause, Hammouda explained.

The GNU spokesman said that it is not yet clear if Israel did receive an invitation to attend the event, but if confirmed, the government would not participate in the conference.

In the same context, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that Turkey would not attend a Paris conference on Libya that Greece, Israel, and the Greek Cypriot administration would be part of.

"If these countries are to attend the conference, then there is no need for us to send special representatives, Erdogan told journalists on his return from the G-20 summit in Rome.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced last September that his country would host an international conference on Libya on November 12.

But Libyan politicians from the eastern and western camps threw into question the timing and the hosts' true intention towards Libya.

The Italian Nova news agency also said it had learned from European diplomats that France suggested hosting the conference in partnership with Italy and Germany, but both countries refused, due to the timing of the conference, which comes just less than a month before the date of the country's long-awaited elections, and because the conference was seen as a repetition of the Libya Stabilization Initiative which the Government of National Unity held on 21 October.

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Libya won't attend Paris Conference with Israel, GNU says - The Libya Observer

The UN Development Program in Libya (UNDP) has committed $883,503.00 to the Promoting Elections for the People of Libya (PEOPLE) project, according to a statement by the UNPD on Tuesday.

UNPD said the High National Elections Commission (HNEC)s Chairperson, Emad Al-Sayeh signed an agreement with the UNDP Resident Representative, Marc-Andr Franche, to use the contribution to increase funding available for the procurement of electoral materials, in preparation for the countrys upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

"The PEOPLEproject supports the capacity and readiness of the HNEC to prepare and conduct electoral events. Under Libyan leadership, the project is implemented by the United Nations Electoral Support Team (UNEST), comprising experts from the UNDP Libya and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), who provide technical advice and support." The statement said.

Meanwhile, Al-Sayeh said HNEC signed the cost-sharing agreement with UNDP Libya to provide support to HNEC through local and international partners and to cover the procurement of electoral materials to be used in the upcoming December24 elections.

By contributing to efforts led by UNDP and UNSMIL, HNEC is supporting the right of Libyan people to determine their own leadership through elections. Along with other partners, UNDP is standing by Libya to further advance the countrys progress on free, inclusive and fair elections. Franche indicated.

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UNDP commits over $88 million to Libya's HNEC to support December elections - The Libya Observer

With its geographical proximity to Israel and its status as the scene of great power rivalry in the Middle East instability in Libya has important consequences with regard to the security and related strategic considerations for Israel.

Libyas lack of a united military apparatus, and its patchwork society, which is divided into a multitude of tribal interest groups and their respective militias, has opened doors for extremist Islamist groups to use the country as their forward operating base.

Spillover effects as a result of this state of insecurity have not only affected Libyas neighbors such as Tunisia, which saw terrorist attacks being committed on its grounds by jihadists trained in Libya as early as in 2015; or Egypt, which had to carry out pre-emptive strikes on a terrorist convoy near its border with Libya but have also reached Israel.

A relatively recent investigation revealed that Hamas used the quagmire of the Libyan civil war to build an arms-smuggling network that diverted anti-aircraft missiles from Libya via Egypt, which were destined to reach Gaza. Opportunities for operations like this to emerge in the future pose a direct security threat to Israel.

November 3, 2021 12:33 pm

Groups smuggling weapons from Libya were exposed as early as in 2011, and have posed a continuous risk to Israel ever since. The true magnitude of this effort was showcased in a spectacular way in May 2021, during the Hamas-Israel war. According to estimates released by the Israel Defense Forces, a staggering 4,400 projectiles were fired at Israel over the 11 days of the conflict. Hamas has continued to target the country ever since, and uncovering and shutting down international weapons smuggling networks has become a key priority for Israel in preparation for any future confrontation.

Continued instability in Libya also affects Israel indirectly by way of having a detrimental effect on the economies of other players in the region, including Egypt, Israels southern neighbor and longest serving Arab partner. Not only did Egypt lose tens of millions of dollars in yearly remittances provided by its migrant workers in Libya as a result of the civil war, but it is estimated that the conflict helps deprive the country of the promise of as much as 4.46% of GDP growth.

Egypts overall economic condition is relevant to Israel not only because of the ever-deepening trade relations between the two countries, but also because Egypt has taken significant responsibilities in managing the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip via its Rafah border crossing over the years. In May 2021, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi pledged $500 million dollars for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after the war. Successful efforts of rebuilding Gaza and its core public services play an important role in decreasing security threats emanating from it towards Israel.

Although a bit farther removed from Israels most immediate strategic considerations, the involvement of great powers and great power aspirants in Libyas domestic affairs will undoubtedly have important geopolitical consequences for the entire Middle East. Turkey and Russia appeared as prominent players on opposite sides of the Libyan strategic scene. Although their foreign policies are seemingly aligned on another issue of region-wide concern, i.e. Syrias ongoing civil war, markedly different considerations drive each of their actions on this issue. Arguably, neither of these serve Israels best interests.

On the one hand, Russias efforts at bolstering Benghazi-based General Khalifa Haftar and the Libyan National Army under his command have been aligned with those of Egypt and the UAE. Notwithstanding, if Haftars offensive in April 2019 had succeeded in overtaking Libyas capital, Tripoli, and especially with Russian military assistance, it is reasonable to believe that President Vladimir Putin would have eventually cashed in the favor to garner support for the full restoration of the Assad regime.

With strong Iranian support and influence behind it, the Assad regime represents a significant risk to Israels security. Syria has, for years, been used as a transit country for Irans proxy activities to prop up Hezbollah and other terror groups.

On the other hand, Turkish gains in Libya in the longer term are similarly disadvantageous from Israels perspective. Turkey is currently working with the countrys leadership on economic and other initiatives, and any future Libyan power structure that grows out of the current government, led by Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, would entail significant strategic gains for Turkey. Intervening in Libyas domestic affairs is also a part of Turkeys broader efforts of projecting its power across the Muslim world as envisioned by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his former foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu. This is especially concerning with regard to Israel because Turkeys Muslim foreign policy rhetoric touches on the question of the status of Jerusalem, as well as guardianship over the Temple Mount.

While it deferred any final decision on the contentious issue of the restoration of Assad for the time being, Turkeys true interests lie in making sure that Syrias north-eastern Kurdish territories do not gain independence. This is crucial for Erdogan. Turkeys best bet at currently guaranteeing this outcome is the return to some form of the pre-civil-war political configuration of Syria under Assad. Again, based on the above, it is clear how such a scenario would pave the way for stronger Iranian influence in the region, at the detriment of Israels interests.

Israel did well not to get entangled in the multi-party quagmire of vying for direct influence in Libya. An alternative proactive policy path for Israel would be helping foster the emergence of a truly impartial Libyan authority structure one that owes no favors to either Russia and Arab states on the one hand, or Turkey on the other, but which is more aligned with the liberal and democratic political ideals that Israel itself strives for.

Current political developments from inside Libya, complete with political clashes and the postponement of planned parliamentary elections, suggest that stability is not within reach in the near future. In the meantime, for direct, indirect, and broader geopolitical reasons, Israel should continue to follow developments in Libya closely.

Patrik Kurath is the executive vice president of the Middle East and North Africa Forum, a think tank based at the University of Cambridge.

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Why Israel Should Care About the Future of Libya - Algemeiner

Issued on: 29/10/2021 - 05:52Modified: 29/10/2021 - 05:50

Ghadames (Libya) (AFP) Libya has hosted its first group of foreign tourists in a decade, with an excursion to an oasis town deep in the desert previously off-limits to visitors due to years of war.

French traveller Jean-Paul, who first visited Libya more than a decade ago, was among some 100 mostly European tourists on the trip.

He said he had long wanted to return to the "magnificent country, with extraordinary scenery and very welcoming people".

"Events meant for 10 years that wasn't possible -- then we were told we could finally come back on a supervised trip, with a security detail," the 57-year-old said.

"People here are very welcoming and you get the feeling that Libyans really want to see tourists again."

Police sirens echoed around the oasis of Ghadames, its old white buildings set amid a sea of palm trees, as the convoy of dozens of four-wheel-drives ferried the Italian, French, Icelandic and Swiss tourists through town.

Libya had been mostly off-limits to tourists throughout the four-decade rule of Moamer Kadhafi.

When the dictator was overthrown in a 2011 uprising, foreign visitors mostly continued to stay away as the country plunged into lawlessness and armed conflict.

Today, thanks to a year of relative calm following an October 2020 ceasefire and a United Nations-led peace process, the first group of tourists since 2012 were able to visit, on a tour paid for by the state.

Tour guide Ali al-Kouba says he wants to "break the wall of fear" for foreigners wanting to visit the vast Libyan Sahara.

Italian traveller and tour operator Giovanni Paolo, who wore a Tuareg-style yellow scarf against the desert wind, agreed.

"We were sure we'd be welcome in this wonderful country," he said.

The visitors arrived via a border crossing with Tunisia which had opened in September after months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

They spent a night under the stars before heading deep into the dunes and rocky stretches of the southern Libyan wilderness.

Finally they reached Ghadames, the "pearl of the desert" some 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of the capital Tripoli.

The UNESCO-listed oasis city, a pre-Roman Berber settlement and a key stop on Saharan trade routes, has unique multilevel architecture with whitewashed, covered alleyways beyond the reach of the brutal summer sun.

The tourists wandered through the old city taking photos of its traditional houses, propped up with palm trunks.

They also visited the newer part of town, where a mosque with striking minarets faces modern villas echoing the style of the old town.

Jean-Jacques Sire, a 67-year-old Frenchman with a white beard, said he had visited Libya twice in the 1990s and "met an exceptionally welcoming population".

"When I found out that there was a group of people ready to come back, I didn't hesitate," he said.

Tourism has been a tiny industry in Libya, whose economy has been dominated by oil and gas since the mid-20th century.

But it did see a brief uptick in the 2000s as the Kadhafi regime mended ties with the outside world, spurred by the UN in 2003 lifting sanctions that had included a flight ban.

Tripoli also created a ministry for the sector and issued tourist visas for the first time, allowing some 110,000 foreign visitors to holiday in the country in 2010, bringing in $40 million (34 million euros).

But all that came to an abrupt halt with the outbreak of an armed revolt in 2011.

And despite a year of relative calm, the country still sees localised outbursts of fighting and most countries advise their citizens against visiting.

But Khaled Derdera, who organised the tour, said he wanted to challenge the idea that Libya is "a country in decline".

"The idea of the trip was to bring back European tourists -- and today, here they are, on Libyan soil," he said.

2021 AFP

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Libya welcomes back tourists after years of war - FRANCE 24

First of all, I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting and supporting this meeting at the request of the 5+5 JMC facilitated by UNSMIL. Also, I would like to express appreciation and gratitude to the representatives of Chad, Niger, and Sudan for participating in this important meeting and their willingness to work together with the 5+5 JMC on the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters from Libya in a way that would not have a destabilizing effect on the situation in their countries and in the region.

As you know, UNSMIL has consistently engaged in efforts with the aim of helping Libya to restore its stability, unity, and full sovereignty. These efforts, in close coordination with our Libyan friends and cooperation with international partners including our Egyptian partners, resulted in a critical milestone the Ceasefire agreement on 23 October 2020, adopted by the (5+5) Joint Military Commission (JMC).

From that date till now, we have witnessed relentless efforts of the (5+5) JMC working as one aimed at the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement starting from maintaining the ceasefire, opening the airspace, exchanging detainees, a joint effort in securing the Great Man-made River, and the opening of the coastal road.

In response to the aspirations of the Libyan people and in line with conclusions of the Berlin Conferences 1 and 2 and respective United Nations Security Council resolutions on Libya, the (5+5) JMC signed on 8 October 2021 in a meeting in Geneva, facilitated by UNSMIL a comprehensive Libyan Action Plan, which will be the cornerstone for the gradual, balanced, and sequenced process of the withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign forces from Libyan territory.

The Action Plan is a Libyan plan agreed by the JMC and supported by the Libyan authorities; is a nationally owned and led instrument with concrete ideas and parameters on how to implement it. The plan is a critical step for the long and arduous process on the way to sustainable peace, stability, security, cooperation, and development in Libya and the region.

Based on the Action Plan, the JMC intends to develop an implementation plan and mechanism for the gradual, balanced, and sequenced departure of all mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces, through consultations and negotiations with Libyas neighbors and other international partners.

The Action Plan was acknowledged at the Stabilization Initiative Conference which was held in Tripoli on 21 October in the presence of Foreign Ministers or their representatives including those of Chad, Niger, and Sudan, as well as of representatives from the JMC who presented the Action Plan.

The JMC has laid the foundation for peace and political processes including the elections in Libya. Our meeting today, and the meetings and consultations that will follow, are only the first steps in the way of preparing a concrete implementation plan for the withdrawal of all mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces from Libya, important also in light of the forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

I would like to express my hope that your meeting in Cairo will result in a mutual understanding of major building blocks and coordination mechanisms necessary for the withdrawal and will enable agreeing on the first steps of the withdrawal process that will take fully into account the needs and concerns of Libya and its neighbors. I count on your full cooperation as well as the support of the African Union in this noble and critically important endeavor.

I pledge the full support of the UN.

Thank you

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Remarks of the UN Special Envoy for Libya and Head of UNSMIL, Jn Kubi, on the opening of the (5+5) JMC meeting in Cairo - 30 October 2021 [EN/AR] -...