Libyan rivals discuss transitional mechanism

JEDDAH: Political rivals in Libya on Monday began a second round of talks on a mechanism to choose a transitional government that will lead the conflict-stricken country to elections in December next year, the UN said.
Stephanie Williams, the UN’s acting envoy for Libya, headed the online meeting of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, a week after the first round of the talks in Tunisia failed to appoint an executive authority.
The 75-member forum did reach an agreement to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24, 2021. They also agreed to appoint a volunteer legal committee to work on the “constitutional basis for the election.”
The forum takes place amid a heavy international push to reach a peaceful settlement to the Libyan conflict.
In a show of support for the UN mission, France, Germany, Italy and the UK on Monday threatened to “take measures” against anyone standing in the way of talks aimed at ending the conflict, without specifying what those measures might be.
In a joint statement, the four European countries urged all Libyan parties to “fully implement the cease-fire agreement.”
The appeal came as Turkey prevented German forces that are part of a EU military mission from carrying out a full search of a Turkish cargo ship they suspected was transporting weapons to Libya, both countries confirmed on Monday.
Soldiers from the frigate Hamburg boarded the Turkish freighter, the Rosaline A, but had to abandon their inspection and disembark after Turkey protested to the EU mission, the German Ministry of Defense said.
The frigate was operating in the Mediterranean as part of the EU’s Operation Irini.
“The incident between Germany and Turkey at sea is the latest controversy in which European countries have tried to enforce an arms embargo on Libya, while Turkey openly and flagrantly violates the embargo by shipping poverty-stricken Syrian rebel recruits, drones, special forces, and electronic warfare technology to Tripoli,” Seth J. Frantzman, the executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis, told Arab News.
“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has criticized Turkey and, along with other EU countries, there is talk of sanctions. However, Turkey has in the past avoided sanctions and Ankara tends to use a carrot-and-stick approach with Europe — one day bluffing and blustering and threatening, and then saying it wants talks.”
According to Frantzman, the Turkish regime knows that aggression can pay dividends and that the EU is reticent to become involved in a real struggle, while European authorities lack the courage to deal seriously with foreign-policy issues such as Armenia, Libya and Syria.
He also suggested that the incoming Biden administration in Washington might work with Europe on a multilateral approach designed to apply pressure on Turkey over similar conflicts.
“Until then it appears Ankara will do what it wants in Libya, or elsewhere, unless other countries in the region are willing to do more to physically interdict Ankara’s actions,” said Frantzman.
“That might involve the new Greece-UAE agreements, or other countries that have interests in Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean.”