Country/entity

Libya

Region

Middle East and North Africa

Agreement name

Ceasefire in Southern Tripoli

Date

28 Sep 2018

Agreement status

Unilateral document

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.

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Libyan Conflicts (1969 - 1994) (2011 - )

Stage

Ceasefire/related

Conflict nature

Inter-group

Peace process

Libyan peace process

Parties

Conflict and Resolution Committee

Third parties

-

Description

Short statement issued by the Conflict and Resolution Committee providing for a Ceasefire in Southern Tripoli renegotiated from earlier that month. Statement also provides for ICRC to receive the dead from both sides.

Agreement document

LY_180829_Ceasefire in Southern Tripoli_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Agreement document (original language)

LY_180829_Ceasefire in Southern Tripoli_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 Although the status of the Conflict and Resolution Committee is unclear, it appears that it is a formal national mechanism that aims to solve the conflict at a local level. The agreement is part of a larger peace process made of several UN-sponsored peace agreements aimed at bringing an end to the Battle of Tripoli. The agreement mentions " multiple meetings with the parties to the conflict".

Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

Yes

Link to national process: articulated rationale

The agreement seems to be linked to the national process. It is part of a larger peace process initiated by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya to put an end to violent clashes in south Tripoli.

Name of Locale

Southern Tripoli

Nature of Locale

Smaller

GPS Lat/Long (DD)

32.815177, 13.221141

Participant type

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, And Peace and Blessings on His Prophet

Page 1, Allah said: “And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah. And if it returns, then make settlement between them in justice and act justly. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” God’s word is truth.

Page 1, With regards to the developments that happened in [illegible amendment] Tripoli, and after multiple meetings with the parties to the conflict, with Allah’s guidance an agreement was reached on Wednesday, 29/8/2018, for a ceasefire starting at 11 pm of the same day for three days. It was also agreed that a military force from the Middle and Western Areas would come in between the parties of the conflict to resolve the conflict and maintain the peace.

Page 1, And it is Allah that bestows success.

Grievance List

Although the agreement does not refer to specific causes of the conflict, it seems that it addresses local grievances that arose from the confrontation between armed groups in and around Tripoli.

Cattle rustling/banditry

No specific mention.

Social cover

No specific mention.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

And Peace and Blessings on His Prophet

Allah said:

“And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two.

But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah.

And if it returns, then make settlement between them in justice and act justly.

Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.”

God’s word is truth. [

handwritten]

With regards to the developments that happened in [illegible amendment] Tripoli, and after multiple meetings with the parties to the conflict, with Allah’s guidance an agreement was reached on Wednesday, 29/8/2018, for a ceasefire starting at 11 pm of the same day for three days.

It was also agreed that a military force from the Middle and Western Areas would come in between the parties of the conflict to resolve the conflict and maintain the peace.

The following was also agreed upon:

Not apprehending [ILLEGIBLE]

And facilitating for the Red Cross to receive the bodies of the dead on both sides

And it is Allah that bestows success.

Conflict Resolution Committee