Italy is hosting a series of talks starting on Sunday, July 25, that could prove crucial in holding elections in Libya on December 24, after the recent failure of UN-led talks in Geneva.
According to what was reported by “Nova” news agency from Libyan sources close to this file, as per the recent statements of the United Nations Special Envoy to Libya, Jan Kubis, in a briefing to the UN Security Council on July 15, that after Eid al-Adha, Rome will host the meetings of an “ad hoc committee” starting next Sunday.
December 24, 2021 is a very symbolic date because on that day the seventieth anniversary of Libya’s independence will take place.
The expected duration of the talks in Rome is still unknown, but the discussions may last several days, knowing that the meeting will be attended by high-ranking figures from Libya, such as the Speaker of Parliament, Aqila Saleh, and the head of the High Electoral Commission in Libya Emad Al-Sayeh.
The last direct meeting of the Libyan Dialogue Forum ended without an agreement on the elections file, and Kubis admitted, in his briefing to the Security Council, that “the members of the People’s Democratic Front are divided into different blocs and interest groups, and they were unable to agree on the final proposal for elections.”
He explained that because of this failure; the situation in Libya has become more difficult, conflicting and tense.”
