Country/entity

Libya

Region

Middle East and North Africa

Agreement name

Pledge of Reconciliation and Cooperation between the Family and Friends in the Area of Tajoura and Souk Jumaa

Date

7 Sep 2018

Agreement status

Multiparty signed/agreed

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

Framework/substantive - partial

Conflict nature

Inter-group

Peace process

Libyan local processes

Parties

in the attendance of representatives of the municipalities of Tajoura and Souk Al Jumaa, the wise men and dignitaries council, a number of attendees of the prayer, and representatives of the brigades and groups of the two areas, and under the sponsorship of the commander of the Greater Tripoli military region.

The text appears to be the minutes of the agreement transcribed by a man named, Abd al-Karim Shnibur.

Third parties

-

Description

Agreement provides for (1) reparations to families; (2) preserving the rights of civilians; (3) not arresting persons based on identity or within the boundaries of Libyan law; (4) preserving security in the capital and working to solve the IDP issue.

Agreement document

LY_180907_Reconciliation agreement between Tajoura and Souk Jumaa_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Agreement document (original language)

LY_180907_Reconciliation agreement between Tajoura and Souk Jumaa_AR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type

Informal but persistent process

Rationale

-> Link to national level; no external support mechanism; culture of signing Although the agreement was not supported by a formal and national mechanism, it is embedded in a culture of signing (and supporting) agreements in this locale (Greater Tripoli) and in this timeframe (August/September 2018).

Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

Yes

Link to national process: articulated rationale

The agreement seems linked to the national peace process. It stipulates that "everyone who was arrested based on their identity all over Libya" should be released and finishes with the phrasing "God save Libya". Finally, the agreement was signed in the presence of several local governance actors.

Name of Locale

Tajoura, Souk Jumaa

Nature of Locale

Smaller

GPS Lat/Long (DD)

32.867231, 13.314891

Participant type

Local state actor
Local armed group
Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder

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, God save Libya and may Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his parents.

Grievance List

Although the agreement does not refer to specific causes of the conflict, it lists three provisions to address local grievances.

Page 1,
First: Reparations for the families of the victims and those affected in both areas
Second: Preserving the rights of all of the civilians from both areas, and working to provide redress for all grievances for all civilians, if they exist
Third: Not allowing anyone to be arrested based on their identity or outside the law, and working to secure the release everyone who was arrested based on their identity all over Libya
Fourth: Cooperation between the two areas to preserve the security and safety in the capital and solve the problem of displaced persons, especially from the two regions.

Cattle rustling/banditry

No specific mention.

Social cover

No specific mention.