UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th June, 2020) The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement on Wednesday the delegations from the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA) were engaged in the third round of negotiations of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission.
"UNSMIL is pleased to announce that both, GNA and the LNA delegations, are fully engaged in the third round of talks of the (5+5) Joint Military Commission (JMC)," the statement said. "The Mission convened a meeting with the LNA delegation on 03 June and another meeting with the GNA delegation yesterday, 09 June."
Both meetings, held in a video conference format, were productive, according to the UN mission.
The parties also managed to discuss the latest developments in Libya and submitted their remarks on the UN-proposed draft ceasefire agreement.
The mission has also called on the sides to de-escalate the military situation in Libya.
"While UNSMIL commends the seriousness and the commitment of both parties in the JMC dialogue track, it calls on them to de-escalate to avoid further civilian casualties and new waves of displacement. The Mission is particularly concerned by reports of escalation and mobilization in and around the city of Sirte," the statement read.
It added that at least 19 civilians have died, including three women and five children, and 12 people were injured in Sirte as a result of airstrikes.
After the ouster and assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country was plunged into a civil war. Today, Libya is divided between two centers of power - an elected parliament in the country's east, supported by the LNA and the UN-backed GNA in the west.
In early February, the 5+5 Joint Military Commission comprised of five senior military officers from each side started negotiations under United Nations auspices in Geneva. The second round of the negotiations ended on February 23. As a result, the warring parties agreed to a draft a ceasefire deal that should pave the way for a lasting ceasefire in Libya and allow the safe return of civilians to their homes under the auspices of the UN mission to the country.
