On 28 May, International Crisis Group (ICG) published an article analysing the conference organized on 29 May by French President Emmanuel Macron, which gathered together Libya’s main political actors ostensibly in an attempt to push forward a unified political solution for the country. The article provides an overview of the potential outcomes of such an initiative, described by ICG as both audacious and risky. ICG argues that the French initiative, which resulted in an agreement by all parties to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on 10 December 2018, could work as a fresh push to provide solutions to the political crisis. However, ICG points out that it could contribute to polarizing divisions among Libyan actors as only four figures - Faiez al-Serraj, head of Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA); Khalifa Haftar, leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA); Aghela Saleh, speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) elected in June 2014 and based in the eastern city of Tobruk; and Khaled Mishri, the recently elected head of the High State Council (HSC) - were invited to actively participate in this summit. Moreover, the article highlights the different gaps of the agreement proposed by France, arguing that details of the draft agreement should be revised before seeking a binding agreement.To read the article in full click here.
France pushes forward an incomplete agreement