The Libyan interim government held its first cabinet meeting on Sunday after receiving a vote of confidence last week, and the international community continues to welcome the latest developments in the war-torn country.
Led by caretaker Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the cabinet discussed the work plan as well as the plan that ministers will commit to establishing coordination with state institutions.
Consisting of 26 ministers, the government is expected to take its oath on Monday.
When the government starts its work, the UN Security Council (UNSC) has welcomed the formation of the national unity government.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Council stressed the importance of “uniting Libya’s institutions, as outlined in the roadmap agreed by Libya’s political dialogue forum, held in Tunis, in November 2020.”
The statement called on the Libyan government to make the necessary preparations to create Libya for “free and fair national presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24, 2021.”
The Security Council also demanded that all foreign forces and mercenaries be withdrawn from Libya. “The Security Council calls on all parties to implement the ceasefire agreement in its entirety and calls on the Member States to respect and support the full implementation of the agreement,” the statement read.
After two days of intense debate under heavy security in the central city of Sirte, the Libyan parliament on Wednesday approved the government in Dbeibah.
Libyans hope that it will end years of civil war that have engulfed the country since the death of the late dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
The war escalated when warlord Khalifa Haftar, backed by several countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Russia and France, launched a military offensive to overthrow the Tripoli-based internationally recognized government for control of the North African country.
Pakistan on Sunday also welcomed Libya’s new unity government.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Islamabad welcomes the Libyan parliament’s approval of the cabinet that Dbeibeh proposed for the fraternal state of Libya and the successful formation of the government for national unity.
“We wish the Libyan Parliament and political leadership every success,” the statement added.
“We appreciate the determination of the Libyan people for peace and security, which has led to this result. We also recognize the positive role played by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), as well as the efforts of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Libya.”
The ministry further said that Pakistan considers its historically close and cordial ties with Libya very important and that it remains committed to promoting their bilateral cooperation and coordination in regional and international areas.
Since the formation of the government, a number of welcoming statements have flowed in from all over the world.
“We applaud the Libyan people for their determination to restore unity in their country,” the foreign ministers of France, Germany, the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement on Thursday.
And they reiterated their call to “withdraw all foreign warriors and mercenaries from all over Libya.”
“This result is a fundamental step towards the unification of Libyan institutions and a comprehensive political solution to a crisis that has tested Libya and its people,” the joint statement said.
Similar comments were previously made at a joint press conference with the foreign ministers of France and Germany.
Air strikes target Libya’s Ubari
Meanwhile, as the country prepares for peace, four airstrikes target the southern Libyan city of Ubari, according to a local official.
The attack targeted various points near the city center, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
According to the source, the first strike occurred at 4 o’clock local time (two o’clock GMT) and most recently at 7 o’clock (5 GMT).
There has been no official comment from the Libyan authorities regarding the airstrikes.
However, the local official said that the US African Command (AFRICOM) is likely to be behind the strikes as it has previously carried out similar attacks in the city.
On March 24, 2018, the Pentagon announced the killing of two militants in an airstrike near Ubari carried out by AFRICOM.
On July 25, 2018, AFRICOM claimed responsibility for killing 11 Al-Qaeda militias in a drone strike, which it said was aimed at a moving target in the city of Al-Uweinat near Ubari.
Located 964 kilometers (599 miles) south of Tripoli, Ubari is the second largest city in southern Libya after the Sabha, with Tuareg making up the vast majority of its population. It hosts the Sharara oil field, the largest in the country, and is under Haftar’s control.
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