Communique of the 839th meeting of the PSC held on 9 April 2019 on the situation in Libya

UNION AFRICAINE

P. O. Box 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel.: (251-11) 551 38 22 Fax: (251-11) 519321

PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL

PSC/PR/COMM.(PSC/PR/COMM.(DCCCXXXIX)

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

COMMUNIQUE

Adopted by the Peace and Security Council at its 839^th meeting held on 9 April 2019 on the situation in Libya,

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling Article 7.1(n) of its Protocol and its previous communiques and press statements on the situation in Libya, particularly press statement [PSC/PR/BR. (DCCCII)] of 802^nd meeting held onl7 October 2018 and communique [PSC/MIN. (DCCXCVII)] of 797^th meeting held at ministerial level on 24 September 2018, on the margins of the 73^rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States of America;

Noting remarks by the Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the African Union, H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, in his capacity as the PSC Chairperson for the month of April 2019 and the Statement made by the Representative of the State of Libya; as well as the briefing made by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, H.E. Ambassador Smail Chergui;

Expressing grave concern over the deteriorating security and humanitarian situations in Libya as a result of the escalation of the military actions involving activities of the various militia and terrorist groups;

Further expressing once again its deep concern over the worsening conditions of African migrants stranded in camps in Libya and reCjfirming its call for greater institutional support to overcome the challenges of illegal migration in Libya;

Reiterating its concern over external interference in the internal affairs of Libya that have the potential to undermine the fragile gains thus far obtained in the peace process in Libya;

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Calls upon all parties to ensure an immediate and total ceasefire and exercise utmost restraint and to be alive to their responsibilities to pursue peaceful cooperation in good faith towards ending the crisis in the country in the higher national interest of Libya;

2. ReCjfirms that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis and emphasizes the imperative of a political solution as the only viable peaceful solution in resolving the prevailing crisis;

3. Underscores the need for addressing the threat of terrorism and violent extremism in Libya which contribute to the deterioration of security and humanitarian situation in that country;

4. Invites all Libyan stakeholders, to promote the necessary conducive political and security conditions towards an inclusive national reconciliation and dialogue, ending therefore the prolonged suffering of the Libyan people;

5. Further Calls upon all parties to protect civilians in Libya, including migrants, with a view to creating a conducive environment for dialogue and endorses the efforts of the AU to provide support and facilitate the repatriation of the migrants;

6. Urges all AU Member States and the international community as a whole to continue to extend humanitarian support to the stranded migrants in Libya, including facilitating the orderly repatriation;

7. Commends the efforts deployed by the AU, through the High Level Committee on Libya and the Commission, to bring about a lasting political solution to the crisis through promoting reconciliation and dialogue among all Libyan stakeholders;

8. ReCjfirms the pivotal role that the AU plays in the search for a lasting solution to the crisis

in Libya and welcomes the recent visit of the High Level delegation led by Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, to Libya;

9. Encourages the AU Commission to pursue its endeavours to convene the planned all- inclusive National Reconciliation Conference on Libya, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in line with Assembly Decision AU/Dec.719(XXXII) of February, 2019;

10. Underscores the renewed commitment of the AU to the UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, and in this connection:

1. Emphasizes the need to ensure synergy or cooperation and complementarity of efforts between the AU and the UN, towards jointly supporting the Libyan stakeholders in their quest for peace and reconciliation ;

2. Stresses the imperative for a single Roadmap to take into account the evolving political and security situation in the country, and the role of the AU and neighbouring countries alongside the UN;

3. Welcomes the AU-UN joint visit to Libya by the the Commissioner for Peace and Security Ambassador Smail Chergui and the UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding, Rosemary Di Carlo, from 12 to 13 March 2019;

11. Reiterates its strong commitment to the respect for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya;

12. And therefore, demands the immediate end to external interference in the internal affairs of Libya and calls on all actors to constructively support the Libyan peace process and to act in good faith in order to unify state institutions, including the Libyan national defense and security Forces;

13. Requests the AU Commission to continue to engage all Libyan parties to the conflict in coordination with the UN;

14. Decides to remain seized of the matter.