On Wednesday, the Security Council unanimously approved a resolution welcoming the Skhirat Agreement, signed on December 17 in the suburbs of Rabat, which aims to form a government of national accord and pave the way for the return of peace and stability to the country. It also expressed its appreciation for Morocco’s contribution aimed at helping Libya overcome the current crisis.
The Security Council called on member states to provide immediate assistance to the “Government of National Accord, at its request, to combat security threats in Libya,” in order to eliminate the “ISIS” and “Ansar al-Sharia” organizations, and any other individual, group, or unit affiliated with the “Al-Qaeda” organization operating in Libya. It also stressed that the Government of National Accord must exercise its oversight of weapons and stockpiles in Libya in a secure manner, and reaffirmed its unanimous support for the new government.
Resolution 2259, proposed by Britain, reiterated the United Nations’ appreciation for the contributions aimed at finding a solution to the Libyan crisis, and “in particular, the contribution of the Kingdom of Morocco, which has worked hard to achieve progress towards finalizing the agreement, including hosting these meetings.”
Immediately after the signing of the Skhirat Agreement last Thursday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, expressed his gratitude to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, as well as to the “Government of Morocco, for hosting the signing ceremony of the political agreement between the Libyan parties, which aims to form a government of national unity and bring the country out of its crisis.”
Furthermore, Resolution 2259 welcomed the formation of the Libyan Presidential Council and called on it to form the Government of National Accord “within 30 days,” as well as to take the necessary “transitional security measures” to stabilize the situation in Libya. The 15 members emphasized the need to install the new government “without delay in the capital, Tripoli,” so that Libya has the necessary means to maintain governance and promote stability and economic development. They called on member states, especially countries in the region, to “continue to pressure the Libyan parties to cooperate constructively with the Government of National Accord and other institutions concerned with the Libyan political agreement.”