BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:40 A.M.) – The Libyan National Army (LNA) has rejected the proposal made by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, to deploy international monitoring forces to support the Joint Military Commission agreement for a permanent ceasefire in the country.
A military official in the army said in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper on Friday, that the proposal is an impermissible interference in the country, stressing that the army is able to restore stability.
The official indicated that the Joint Military Committee is making great efforts to activate its decisions on the ground, to ensure a permanent cessation of fighting.
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Guterres had said in a letter to the UN Security Council on Thursday that the warring parties in Libya had requested the United Nations help in implementing the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, after it reached a ceasefire agreement last October.
Guterres explained that the two parties want to help unarmed and irregular international observers, adding that the United Nations team could include civilians and former military personnel from regional bodies, including the African Union, the European Union and the Arab League.
It is noteworthy to mention that the United Nations aims to achieve an advanced presence as soon as the situation permits, and the observer team will initially be deployed in the area surrounding the coastal city of Sirte and can be expanded.
