Libyan Presidency Council: What are the main challenges facing the new authority in Libya?

CAIRO - 10 February 2020: Arab and Libyan newspapers commented on the results of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum held in Geneva, which resulted in the election of a new executive authority in Libya to assume the tasks of the transitional period that is supposed to end by withholding general elections at the end of 2021.

Intellectuals believe that the real challenge facing the transitional government is unifying the army and the security institutions in the country. However, others stress the importance of the role of the United Nations and the major powers in sponsoring the new government, stabilizing the ceasefire, and removing militias and mercenaries.

Participants in the forum cast their votes for a three-member presidential council and a prime minister to lead the transitional government, where Muhammad Yunus Al-Manfi was appointed head of the Presidency Council and Abdel-Hamid Al-Dabaiba was appointed head of the transitional government.

Unify the army

Ahmed Mayouf said in an article published in Ain Libya and Al-Wasat newspapers that "the government's success lies in setting its priorities and reducing its tasks as much as possible, and trying to study the steps that will achieve the state's arrival to holding elections on time."

The writer believes that "one of the most important of these priorities is to unify the army to end any future tension, create a constitutional basis for holding elections, and support the General Elections Commission."

To achieve these priorities, the writer suggests that the parliament should form a mini-government of five ministers who will take over the portfolios of foreign affairs, defense, security, economy, and justice.

He also believes that the state at this stage "does not need to develop strategies for education, health, and utilities as much as it needs to manage these facilities as they are and not to expand spending," as  he asserts that the process of "unifying the army" will be one of the "most difficult files that will face the government" at this stage.

Political analyst Amr Al-Shobaki shares the writer’s opinion. Al-Shobaki believes that the formation of the new Libyan government "has greater chances of success if the serious risks and challenges it faces are eliminated."

The writer confirms that the last agreement came after the failure to hinder Turkey's efforts to bring extremist Syrian militias to Libya and provide unconditional support for the government of the National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj.

Also, the current regional and international transformations, according to the writer's opinion, "may better help in resolving the conflict in Libya compared to previous periods," in light of the Gulf reconciliation and Egypt's return to contact with many parties in Libya, and the presence of a new American administration whose approach to the region differs from the previous administration.

"Despite these positive transformations in the internal, regional and international environment, there will remain the biggest challenge, which is the unification of security and military institutions," he added.

The role of the major powers

Writer Abdullah bin Bijad Al-Otaibi, in the Emirati newspaper Al-Ittihad, asks: “Is this the end of ten years of chaos, terrorism, internal strife, Turkish colonialism, and the fundamentalist incursion of the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda and ISIS? ....Is it an end to the Libyan tragedy and international and regional conflicts over Libya's oil and wealth?

I hope the answer is yes, but the mind is more inclined to wait and think carefully to read the upcoming developments.

The countries that invested billions of dollars in the Libyan chaos in the region still exist and are managed by the same policies, and the agents and mercenaries are still in their positions with their money and weapons, and therefore it is good to monitor the positions and movements in the next few months because they have a lot to tell," Al-Otaibi explained.

Furthermore, he affirmed that the United Nations can protect the new authority by taking firm stances against any violation of the agreement, which can benefit from all the support it receives on the Arab and international levels.

On a similar note, Jalal Aref, a writer for Egyptian news, thinks that "the tasks entrusted to the transitional authority are numerous and difficult, and the complex internal situation requires great efforts to unify state institutions, end the foreign military presence and restore stability, to reach the crucial elections before the end of the year."

The writer also asserted the necessity that the major powers "shoulder their responsibilities by agreeing to freeze their conflicts in Libya, and adhering to international resolutions that stipulate the exit of all foreign fighters and the deportation of thousands of mercenaries."

Spokesperson of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Ahmed Al-Mesmary also stated in a phone-in that the new interim government that formed after the election of a new prime minister and a new presidential council must prioritize dismantling militias, forcing out mercenaries and ending Turkish military presence in western the country.

The LNA spokesperson stressed that the prime role of the new interim government must be providing services for citizens, while the mission of the new presidential council has to be fulfilling all agreements.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) underlined that Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dabiba has to form a government within 21 days and that the Tobruk-based elected House of Representatives has to endorse it also within 21 days.

The transfer of power from Fayez al-Saraj government to the new government takes place once the endorsement is made. In case the house does not endorse Dabiba’s government, the decision will be in the hands of the Libyan National Dialogue Forum.

It is worth noting that the new Chair of the Presidential Council is Mohamed Menfi, and the other two members are Mossa Al-Koni and Abdullah Al-Lafi. Dabiba-Menfi list received the necessary votes in the ballot held by the UN-fostered Libyan National Dialogue Forum Saturday, and its task is to pave the way for the elections scheduled for December 24, 2021.

Libya has been in chaos ever since the 2011 overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising, with warring rival administrations battling for power. Since the downfall of Kadhafi, Libya has become a key route for irregular migration from Africa into Europe, across the Mediterranean Sea.

Egypt's role

Several countries seek to solve the Libyan crisis in various ways, most prominently Egypt, which is currently hosting the third meetings of the Libyan Constitutional Track running from February 9-11 in Hurghada, in the presence of delegations of the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of State under the auspices of the United Nations.

In January 2021, the Libyan Constitutional Committee meetings were also held in Hurghada for a period of three days, in the presence of members of the House of Representatives and the State Council sponsored by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.

At the end of 2020, a Libyan meeting was held in Cairo between representatives of the Libyan House of Representatives and the Supreme State Council in Libya, as part of the efforts sponsored by the countries of the region to support the path of a political solution in Libya led by Egypt.

In September 2020, Egypt's Hurghada hosted meetings between Libyan military and security leaders representing the east and west of the country, to agree on the military and security tracks.

Egypt earlier announced an initiative, dubbed the Cairo Declaration, which posits a Libyan-Libyan resolution as a basis for resolving the country’s conflict, drawing on earlier international efforts, including the Berlin conference.

In July, the Egyptian House of Representatives has authorized President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to “take necessary measures” to protect national security, giving a green light for the president to send troops to Libya.

This came in a closed session on protecting the Egyptian and Libyan national security against terror threats. The session was attended only by the Parliament members and the general secretariat of the House.

A week earlier, Sisi said at a meeting with Libyan tribal chiefs in Egypt that any Egyptian military intervention in Libya may only materialize upon a request by the Libyan people and permission from the Egyptian House.

According to Article 152 of the Egyptian constitution, the state has to seek the Parliament’s approval before declaring war or sending its forces in combat missions.

The members attending the session are not authorized to disclose any details of the discussion inside this secret meeting.

During his meeting with the tribal chiefs on July 16, Sisi said Egypt has always stood by a peaceful solution in Libya through encouraging negotiations between Libyan factions. However, it will not stand idly as it watches activities that threaten Egypt’s national security.

“Egypt has the strongest Army in the region and Africa,” he said, adding that it is, however, wise and does not assail or invade other territories.

He noted that in case the Egyptian forces enter Libya, they will be led by tribal leaders carrying the Libyan flag. He added that the army intervention in Libya has to be approved by the Egyptian House of Representatives.

Sisi promised that Egypt will intervene "only at the Libyans' request and withdraw upon their order.”