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Spotlight: UN envoy highlights 2017 decisive for Lybian stability

Xinhua, January 17, 2017 Adjust font size:

It must be "a year of decision and breakthrough" in 2017, said Martin Kobler, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), in an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Monday.

I appealed to the political will of everybody now to come together to form strong institutions in security, political and economic," said Kobler while addressing his "clear messages" to all parts concerned in Libya.

He explained the political breakthrough means that the government of national accord should be endorsed by the House of Representatives of Libya who delayed or canceled several times the vote for the government backed by UN.

The Parliament should also pass the constitution amendment and Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) must be part of constitution, he added.

Kobler admitted that there is a lack of a political will to implement the LPA signed in December 2015 in Morocco, brokered by UN.

The international community wished that LPA, as a framework, could bring stability and help to combat a growing Islamic State presence in Libya.

"There was the true will to implement it. Now we have seen that this political will is not everywhere," regretted Kobler.

He promised to continue his efforts to bring "those who resist in the temptation of the Libyan Political Agreement" on board.

"East, West and South must be on board. All the important actors, security actors must be on board."

Kobler affirmed that Libya was "left alone with the revolution" after 2011 when "there was intervention and there was no follow up."

He called on the international community to stay united and, as partners, to accompany Libya's political process and to respect its sovereignty and decisions, but not to interfere.

"All the stakeholders must work for the benefit of the Libyan people to improve their lives and to provide basic services like health, electricity and others."

Over the terrorism which remains a major danger to Libya and the neighbor countries, Kobler warned that though the business model of the Islamic State (IS) to occupy territories was ended the IS did not disappear but divided into small cells in many parts of the country and probably planned sleeping cells terrorism attacks.

He urged that fight against terrorism has to go on with international cohesion and "it is only by international cooperation to eliminate it," but the major burden is on the Libyans.

"I'm always applicating the formation of a united Libyan army responsible for the whole country to provide security for the citizens but also counter terrorist violence," said Kobler. Endit