EU must consider ways to support ceasefire in Libya, EU Top Diplomat Josep Borrell says

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell suggested an EU military mission to protect cease-fire in Libya. EU countries will 'refocus' Libya mission to respect arms embargo.
European Union countries have agreed to “refocus'' the mission of the bloc's anti-migrant smuggler naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea on upholding the UN arms embargo in Libya, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday. #eudebates #Libya #EuropeanUnion #AlSaraz #Haftar #Erdogan #Turkey #Egypt #Berlin

“In the meantime, we have to pass from truce to a real ceasefire,'' Borrell said. “We are in a truce, which is unstable. A truce can be violated several times a day. Without a ceasefire, it's going to be difficult to imagine any kind of strong engagement of the European Union.''

After chairing talks between EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Borrell said that the bloc will also examine ways to help monitor a ceasefire in the conflict-torn country once one actually comes into force and replaces the shaky truce currently in place. He told reporters that EU ambassadors and experts have been tasked with presenting “concrete proposals on how to implement this ceasefire and enforcing the UN arms embargo,'' by the time the ministers next meet in Brussels on Feb. 17.

“If there is a cease-fire in Libya, then the EU must be prepared to help implement and monitor this cease-fire, possibly also with soldiers, for example as part of an EU mission”, Borrell said in an interview, and added: “Or take the arms embargo. We Europeans have been entrusted by the United Nations to enforce it. In reality, the arms embargo is ineffective. Nobody controls anything there”.

Earlier this month, Turkey’s parliament passed a bill allowing the government to send troops to Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been in conflict with the warlord Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), whose forces are supported by Russia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Last year, in April, Haftar’s forces launched an offensive against the GNA, whose seat is in Tripoli.

Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have since been mediating for a cease-fire, which Haftar recently rejected. The negotiations, known as the Berlin peace process, were held with the participation of France, Italy, Germany, and the UK.

“In the past six months Turkey and Russia have gained massive influence in Libya, and they are using it. Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have at least succeeded in preparing a temporary cease-fire between the hostile parties in Libya. This is potentially good news for the people of Libya”, Borrell said.

He also warned that the crisis is worsened by the hundreds of thousands of people that have fled from the neighboring Sahel region to Libya. Erdogan recently urged the EU to work with Turkey on a solution for the crisis, something Borrell agrees with:

“Everyone can barricade themselves behind their right of veto. As a result, EU foreign policy is rich in procedures but often poor in results”, he said.