Fact-finding Mission to Libya, June 7-10

The International Centre For Relations & Diplomacy (ICRD, London), Institute For European Prospective & Security (IEPS, Paris), and the newspaper European Interest (Brussels) organized a fact-finding mission to Libya, Tripoli, and Tunisia.

Saturday, June 8

The international mission brought together European veteran diplomats, security experts, politicians and journalists from ten EU member states aiming to explore the current status quo in Libya and assess the wider destabilizing effects of the conflict. The mission arrived from 11 countries across Europe in Tunis, leaving for Tripoli, Libya in the evening.

Following a series of meetings with political stakeholders, international agencies, and civil society, our mission will produce a report and recommendations for the next steps.

Sunday, June 9

The ICRD and IPSE mission to Tripoli, Libya, met with political parties and representatives of local authorities on Sunday.

Deputies talked about the indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets by the Haftar militia, including hospitals, schools, mosques, and the airport. Significantly, testimonies by various political parties focused on discrediting the term “army,” making references to the illicit financing sources of the regime – including human trafficking – as well as its composition. There are also suspicions that Haftar has tactically cooperated with Daesh in places like Derna.

A number of deputies condemning the perceived support of Haftar forces from EU and certain Arab states.

Monday, June 10

Libyan Prime Minister, President of the Government of national accord, Fayez El-Sarraj, with the President of the Libyan High Council of State, Khaled El-Machri, with the Special Representative of the UN SG, Ghassan Salamé. Meetings under Chatham House rules.