Head of the UN-backed Libyan government Fayez al-Sarraj said on Monday that there was “no alternative to political agreement” in his country, calling on all Libyan parties to implement their commitments to reach a “comprehensive settlement”. He made his remarks following talk with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi in Tunis.
The meeting comes less than a month after Sarraj and his most prominent opponent, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, met in Paris, under the auspices of French President Emmanuel Macron, and reached a roadmap deal for a ceasefire and reconciliation.
Sarraj said the meeting at the Tunis’ Carthage Palace touched on various political initiatives to resolve the Libyan crisis, especially after the “situation had reached a dead end”. The meeting also discussed political and security developments in Libya and means to activate the outcome of the Paris talks.
Sarraj also presented a solution proposed by the President of the Libyan Presidential Council to end the crisis. Well-informed sources said the Tunis visit aims at “reshaping the political solution map”, which has been hit by various complications at the regional and international levels.
In a televised speech, Sarraj presented a nine-point roadmap, including the organization of presidential and parliamentary elections in March 2018, and drafting a constitution and holding a referendum on it. He also stressed the continuation of the work on the political agreement and the Government of National Accord until the appointment of a prime minister by the elected president.
In March, Tunis hosted a meeting of the foreign ministers of Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt, to deal with an initiative aimed at reaching a comprehensive political settlement to the Libyan crisis.
On the other hand, Khalifa Hafter has reappointed the man he fired a year ago as head of the Omar Mukhtar operations room against Islamists in Derna. Last August, Hafter said the officer was not considered sufficiently aggressive.
Kamal Al-Jabali resumes his position as commander of the Omar Mukhtar operations room because, according to Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Ahmed Mismari, the previous chief, Brigadier Salim Al-Rafadi, was injured in a car crash last week. The full extent of Rafadi’s injuries are unclear. Some reports say he has a broken leg, others that he suffered only bruising. Rafadi took over this January from Yousef Al-Mabrouk Al-Mansuri who had been Jabali’s first replacement.
Hafter originally fired Jabali after LNA positions outside Derna were overrun by local Islamists in an humiliating defeat which cost the lives of a dozen soldiers. At the time, a  source told the Libya Herald that Jabali was not considered sufficiently aggressive and too happy simply to negotiate local ceasefires.
In Derna tension has risen over the past week as all roads in and out of the town have been blocked. The blockade followed the downing of an LNA warplane whose pilots were seized by the Derna Mujahedeen Shoura Council (DMSC). One of the flyers, Colonel Adel Jehani, was executed and images of his body posted online. The DMSC has apologised for this and said those who killed the pilot have been arrested.
The head of the LNA’s air force Major-General Saqr Geroushi announced today that one of the Mig-23 warplanes at Labraq airbase is being renamed after Jehani.
In a clear sign that the LNA is preparing for a tough fight for Derna, the LNA’s Saiqa Special Forces has been moved forward to join the troops investing the town. Saiqa was responsible for the final breakthrough in the fighting against militants in Benghazi’s Gwarsha, Ganfouda, Suq Al-Hout and Sabri districts. Within its ranks is Major Mahmoud Warfali whose alleged appearance in four summary execution videos is being investigated by the LNA.  Saiqa commander Wanis Bukhamda is reported to have said that his attention was now focused on taking Derna.