By RFIPosted on 22-01-2020Modified on 22-01-2020 at 04:45

On Sunday January 19, eleven leaders from affected countries, or even involved in the conflict in Libya, promised to renounce all interference, and also to respect the embargo on arms deliveries. The fact that participants managed to speak with one voice is seen in itself as a positive sign. The UN says it intends to transform this declaration into a resolution submitted to the Security Council vote, but can this change the situation on the ground? Observers remain cautious.

"Pious wishes", "declarations of good intentions", many observers make no secret of their doubts about the impact on the ground of the promises made on Sunday in Berlin. Admittedly it is " a small step forward ", as Angela Merkel pointed out, but " distrust continues to reign " between the parties to the conflict , underlines the analyst Naji Abou Khalil.

And in a context of standoff over the conditions of a possible ceasefire agreement still unsigned, whoever - among the sponsors of this conflict - would decide to refrain from supporting his Libyan ally would take, according to this analyst , " The risk of losing ground ".

A hypothesis not very "realistic" according to him. Especially since, since 2011, the reports of UN experts documenting precisely the violations of this embargo have succeeded in succession, none of the personalities, companies or States presented in these reports as responsible for these violations subject to sanctions by the United Nations.

It is difficult to imagine at this stage that the regional and international parties cease their military support ...

Naji Abou-Khalil, co-director of the Libya program at the Noria research center, former member of the group of independent experts responsible for the UN to assess compliance with the arms embargo in Libya voted in 2011.

01-22-2020 - By Florence Morice

On Monday, the Europeans however said their intention to relaunch Operation Sophia, which is now dormant, but whose mandate was, among other things, to control arms trafficking in the Mediterranean. It remains to be seen whether it will have the means to carry out its mission. A delicate mission, the illegal arms deliveries taking place both by sea, by land, but also, often by air.

The strongest signal would be sanctions against the individuals and companies involved in these arms embargo violations ...

Naji Abou-Khalil, co-director of the Libya program at the Noria research center, former member of the group of independent experts responsible for the UN to assess compliance with the arms embargo in Libya voted in 2011.

01-22-2020 - By Florence Morice

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