Country/entity

Libya

Region

Middle East and North Africa

Agreement name

Final Communique: Comprehensive Dialogue for Calm and Peace in the Nafusa Mountains

Date

19 Mar 2015

Agreement status

Status unclear

Interim arrangement

Yes

Agreement/conflict level

Intrastate/local conflict

Libyan Conflicts (1969 - 1994) (2011 - )

Agreements relate to two distinct conflict dyads.
Libya-Chad. Since the 1970s, Libya under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi had a tense relationship with its neighbour Chad, predominantly focused on the resource-rich Aouzou Strip in northern Chad. Libyan claims of the Aouzou Strip were held in an un-ratified treaty between France and Italy in 1935, similarly Chadian claims of the Strip were argued with support of a 1955 treaty between Libya and France. In 1973, Libya effectively annexed the Strip to gain access to natural resources. This spurred cross-border clashes between 1979 until 1987 until escalated to a brief war known as the Toyota War, wherein Chadian government troops succeeded in repelling Libyan forces. A brief and repeatedly violated ceasefire was held from 1987-88, followed by a series of unsuccessful negotiations, until an International Court of Justice ruling in 1994, which granted sovereignty of the Strip to Chad.

Libya post-Gaddafi. Gaddafi’s downfall following the Libyan Civil War in 2011-2012, led to several factions fighting for the country’s leadership. Since 2013, the country effectively split into three entities, with the National Army controlling the east including the city of Benghazi, and the New General National Congress and their militias such as the Golden Dawn controlling the northwest including the capital of Tripoli. Significant portions of the country in the south-west are currently held by Tuareg forces. The civil war and chaos continued into 2014 as the General National Congress refused to disband after the expiry of its mandate, resulting in eruption of mass protests. The UN efforts continue to broker peace between the Libyan Army and the Libya Dawn factions, and a partial ceasefire was declared in January 2015. A new interim-government (Tunisia-based) called ‘Government of National Accord’ is formed with the backing of UN despite the refusal of the other forces to recognise its authority and arrived to Tripoli with the UN in 2016. A state of emergency was declared by the UN backed government amid clashed between rival militia in Tripoli’s southern suburbs. Since April 2019 there has been sustained fighting between the Libyan National Army and the UN-backed government in Tripoli as the Libyan National Army aims to seize Tripoli.

Close

Libyan Conflicts (1969 - 1994) (2011 - )

Stage

Pre-negotiation/process

Conflict nature

Inter-group

Peace process

Libyan local processes

Parties

"The elders, prominent figures, sheikhs, and activists of the Nafusa Mountains"

Third parties

-

Description

Communique provides for the return of IDPs; lifting of social protection of criminals; return of security institutions; allowing humanitarian aid and promoting a culture of tolerance; working to spare the cities and areas of Nafusa mountains and reaching out to other tribes and assigning responsibilities among them; creating an implementation mechanism; and supporting the municipalities and crisis committees in pushing forward solutions.

Agreement document

LY_150319_Mount Nafusa Final communique_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Agreement document (original language)

LY_150319_Mount Nafusa Final communique_AR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type

Formal structured process

Rationale

-> Link to national level; external support mechanism; culture of signing The agreement was signed as a result of the Dialogue for Comprehensive De-escalation and to Bring Peace to the Nafusa Mountains Forum, and three day-discussions between the opposing parties. Moreover, the agreement is clearly embedded in a culture of signing and supporting agreement in this locale in 2015. This year, reconciliation efforts were underway, taking the form of joint committees of the towns’ notables, mediated by figures from a third-party town, Asaba. Asaba was considered neutral because although it had taken political positions, it had not engaged in fighting, either in the 2011 uprising or afterwards (see reference).

Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

Yes

Link to national process: articulated rationale

The agreement clearly articulates a link to the national process: Page 1 and 2, The attendees also stressed the importance and necessity of adhering to the national constants that they committed to when working on the recommendations, and these constants are as follows: - The unity of Libya, and putting the national interests above any other interests, affiliations, or considerations - The Libyan identity is the common ground for all of Libya’s cultural and racial components, and it must be preserved. - The Libyan nation is the source of authority, and it alone has the right to determine its fate.

Name of Locale

Nafusa Mountains

Nature of Locale

Region

GPS Lat/Long (DD)

31.865991, 11.793643

Participant type

Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
Local community/civilian group(s)/civil society organisations

Mediator, facilitator or similar

No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)

Page 1, In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Page 1, All praises be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the final Prophet and messenger.

Page 1, Over three days of serious and honest dialogue and discussions, the following, all praise be to Allah, was agreed upon:

Page 1, The Lord says: [And say, "Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers.] (Quran 09:105)

Page 2, And in conclusion, in order to strengthen the culture of social peace and the active role of the activists, elders, and prominent figures who are trying to spread its culture, we pray that Allah, who is all powerful, will make our efforts result in the settlement of all of the conflicts between our brothers in the Mountains, and in all of Libya, for it is Allah that bestows success.

Page 2, It is Allah that bestows success, and long live a unified Libya.
Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

Grievance List

[Summary] (1) return of IDPs; (2) lifting of social protection of criminals; (3) return of security institutions; (4) allowing humanitarian aid and promoting a culture of tolerance; (5) working to spare the cities and areas of Nafusa mountains and reaching out to other tribes and assigning responsibilities among them; (6) creating an implementation mechanism; (7) and supporting the municipalities and crisis committees in pushing forward solutions.

Cattle rustling/banditry

No specific mention.

Social cover

Page 1, Over three days of serious and honest dialogue and discussions, the following, all praise be to Allah, was agreed upon:
... 2. Lifting societal protection of perpetrators, be they individuals or groups, and outlaws