By: Hamza Jbouda
It is time to pack our luggage to travel to the Palermo Conference, begin to fake smiles before cameras, and form eloquent sentences that are expected from Libyan figures.
After the meeting, we shall hear “we work on settling the situation in Libya, unifying the parties, and consolidating reconciliation without exclusion.”
As time plays the key role in Libya today, we have to remind the main and the present parties that we have forgotten the Skhirat agreement and instead we argue about the “UN plan,” “the general conference” and the “Paris meeting.”
Hence, we ask you this time to stay away from the attitude of postponing, trying and aspiring. We ask you to be more credible this time. If all of you agreed together, we ask you to sign an agreement to resolve the Libyan crisis, but if you do not, we ask you to extend your stay in Palermo.
Perhaps it would be stating the obvious to remind you how this may be a wonderful milestone if changed your decision and found a middle ground.
Today in Libya, only a few are optimistic about the conference, while many others are waiting for what will happen out of curiosity, as if it is a movie played by certain heroes whenever they feel bored.
In reality, no one dares to lie or to be a hypocrite. The situation in Tripoli has never changed as it welcomes its visitors and bids farewell to its sons whenever someone decides to “cleanse” the city.
Meanwhile, the south continues to silently pay its tax and make concessions for years. No one expects that the Palermo conference would reach magical solutions and no one thinks of the conference except for the luggage carriers and the writers of the final statements.
Anyway, Italy’s intensive efforts will be appreciated and influential Libyans in the scene, who will go to the conference, will be appreciated.
However, most importantly, what matters is who is going to stand before us and tell the truth after the conference either fails or succeeds. I shall note that we are not asking for reforms, a unified army or a state of law, we just want you to select which truth to declare: did we “succeed or fail”?
