The UN Security Council has been invited to vote tomorrow afternoon on a resolution supporting a ceasefire in Libya, which would be the first binding text adopted since the beginning of the conflict in April, according to diplomatic sources.
A vote on the resolution was requested by Great Britain, which prepared a proposal for a resolution that has been discussed for more than three weeks, a diplomat told France Press.
For now, the position of Russia, which blocked the draft resolution on Libya a week ago, is not known.
The text emphasizes the need for a permanent ceasefire in Libya, without preconditions.
The document no longer mentions the Security Council's concerns about the growing influence of mercenaries in Libya. That's why Russia blocked the draft resolution a week ago and demanded that the word "mercenaries" be replaced with "foreign terrorist fighters."
At the beginning of the negotiations, the US demanded that "Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group" be specifically named, said one diplomat who did not want to be named.
For several months now, Russia has been accused of supporting the sending of thousands of mercenaries to Libya to help Commander Khalifa Haftar, who since the beginning of April last year has been trying to militarily seize Tripoli, the seat of the internationally recognized Libyan government. Moscow denies any involvement.
The British draft resolution calls on regional organizations such as the African Union, the Arab League and the European Union to see how they can support the UN in its political missions and possible monitoring of the ceasefire in Libya.
The text calls for the continuation of negotiations by the joint military commission formed at the end of January, in which the two sides were represented, in order to reach a permanent truce, including a control mechanism, separation of forces and confidence measures.
That commission met in Geneva but ended its work on Saturday without reaching an agreement on a truce, although the UN proposes to resume negotiations from February 18.
The text supports the conclusions of the summit in Berlin held on January 19, where member countries were asked to refrain from any interference in the Libyan conflict.
Despite the arms embargo, which has been imposed on Libya since 2011, violations of the ban do not stop. The UN report condemned the responsibility of the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Jordan in support of the two parties and identified several armed groups coming from Sudan and Chad.
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