On March 16, local time, the UN Security Council held an open meeting on the Libyan issue. Dai Bing, China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said that the Libyan conflict has been going on for 11 years, which has brought serious disaster to the Libyan people, and has far-reaching spillover effects on Africa, especially the Sahel region and the Mediterranean region. The Libyan people and the international community generally hope that the Libyan peace process will continue to maintain the right direction, continue to make positive progress, and achieve lasting peace as soon as possible. However, according to the briefing by Deputy Secretary-General DiCarlo, for some time, the differences and contradictions among the parties in Liberia have intensified, the good momentum since last year has slowed down, and the uncertainty of the political process has increased, which is very regrettable and worrying. .
Regarding the situation in Libya, Dai Bing said, first, we must stick to the bottom line of peace. The current ceasefire situation in Libya is not easy to come by, and the resumption of conflict will lead to the failure of the peace gains made since the previous year. The Chinese side has noted that all parties in Liberia have generally remained calm and restrained at this critical moment, and hoped that all parties will continue to adhere to the general direction of political settlement and refrain from taking any actions that may complicate the situation. All parties that have an impact on the Libyan situation should uphold the principle of “Legend people lead and benefit people own” and play an active and constructive role in this regard. UNSMIL should continue to cooperate with the “5+5” Joint Military Commission to carry out ceasefire supervision within the mandate of the Security Council. Foreign armed forces and mercenaries in Liberia should continue to withdraw as soon as possible in a phased, balanced, orderly and organized manner.
Second, we must persist in dialogue and consultation. The political process in Libya is facing difficulties. In the final analysis, all parties in Libya lack consensus. It is hoped that all parties in Liberia will resume the momentum of dialogue and negotiation some time ago, reach consensus as soon as possible on important issues related to Liberia’s future and destiny, especially the timetable and roadmap for political transition, and form solutions to the direct causes of the postponement of Liberia’s election. While maintaining peace and stability in Liberia, hold elections as soon as possible to push Liberia’s national development into a new stage. China encourages UNSMIL to continue to actively persuade peace and talks, supports UNSMIL in principle to continue its extension, and calls for the appointment of the Secretary-General’s special envoy for Libya as soon as possible in accordance with the requirements of the Security Council resolution.
Third, we must insist on promoting peace through development. Developing the economy and improving people’s livelihood will help the people to enjoy the peace dividend and expand the power of peace. It is not easy to restore the production of oil to the pre-war level. As the main source of income for the country, stable oil production and export should be guaranteed. The humanitarian situation has improved. China encourages the international community to actively participate in Liberia’s reconstruction and increase support for Liberia’s economic recovery and development. The Libyan government has long been concerned about the loss of frozen assets. The Security Council and the Libyan Sanctions Committee should attach great importance to this and take concrete measures.
(CCTV reporter Gu Xiang)