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Libya has been divided between rival eastern and western administrations since a civil war broke out after the toppling of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Demonstrators demand the overthrow of the Libya’s Government of National Unity headed by Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, in Tripoli. (Source: Reuters)
After brokering a peace deal between the United States and Iran, Pakistan has now started to slowly mediate between the rival eastern and western power centres of Libya, according to a report published by Reuters.
Pakistan has stepped into the conflict-riddled Libya after months of US-led efforts to reach a diplomatic solution in Libya. The country has been divided between rival eastern and western administrations since a civil war broke out after the toppling of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
This year, Pakistan played a central role in the peace deal signed between the United States and Iran, with the Trump administration repeatedly crediting it for its contribution.
Pakistan’s Mediation Efforts In Libya
According to Reuters, the US is now “fully aware and involved” in Pakistan’s efforts to reach a diplomatic solution in Libya.
As per the report, Pakistan is also being backed by Saudi Arabia in this endeavour. Last year, Pakistan signed a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia, which has long sought influence in Libya.
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Pakistan started the efforts to secure peace in Libya late last year, and both factions of the country had requested its involvement.
However, it remained unclear to what extent Pakistan has been coordinating with other regional stakeholders to reach a truce.
Libya’s Unity Plan
According to experts, any successful plan to bring peace and unity in Libya would require balancing the different interests of foreign patrons along with resolving disputes over election rules, posts and oil revenues, which have derailed attempts to establish peace for decades.
Speaking to Reuters, a contributor to Britain’s Royal United Services Institute think tank, Jalel Harchaoui, said, “The United States has been pushing hard in Libya, but the format it is trying to impose is still loose and ill-defined.”
According to Reuters, the proposed “Libya Reunification Plan” would establish a 36-month transitional power-sharing arrangement under the body known as the “Government of National Consensus and Presidential Council”.
According to a Pakistani source, the proposal is still under discussion. Once approved by both the factions, the proposal would establish a transition period with Abdulhamid Dbeibah of the U.N.-recognised and western-based Libyan Government of National Unity as prime minister and Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the eastern-based Libyan National Army, as chairman of the Presidential Council.
The faction of Haftar’s father, Khalifa Haftar, the commander-in-chief of the LNA, has the biggest oilfields and key infrastructure of Libya under its control, and the proposed plan would also give him authority over the budget.
According to a Pakistani source, Islamabad would play “an active role in making sure this whole arrangement stays in play”, and the details are still being worked on, Reuters reported.
Pakistan: A Second Player In Libya?
Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, had met Saddam Haftar in Rawalpindi last month. The meeting took place days after Haftar’s visit to Washington, where he held talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In a statement, the State Department said that Rubio welcomed the efforts of Libyan leaders to overcome divisions and reaffirmed the support of the US for Libyan unity.
Also Read: Another Push To Save US-Iran Peace Deal? Pakistan Sends Mohsin Naqvi To Tehran
According to experts, Pakistan is now emerging as a secondary player in Libya, where the US, the UAE, Turkey and Egypt have made efforts for decades to gain influence. However, it is the ties of Pakistan with both sides in Libya which other regional actors were probably falling short of.
According to Reuters, Pakistani officials pursued defence ties with the eastern-based LNA in December, which included the possible sale of JF-17 fighter jets and Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, ignoring the UN arms embargo.
However, the rival Western GNU had also recently requested direct talks with Pakistan, as per Reuters.
Qatar and Turkey, the biggest supporters of GNU, were among the nations which encouraged Pakistan to participate in the mediation process in Libya.
With inputs from Reuters
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