The American Embassy in Malta has insisted the United Nations-led process is the only one that can unite Libya but it declined to give its views on a meeting held in Malta for the heads of Libya’s rival parliaments.
There were recently reports that the US expressed displeasure over Malta’s decision to host a meeting between the heads in Malta on December 15, two days before the signing of a contested UN agreement on a national unity government in Skhirat, Morocco.
During the Malta meeting, the two presidents announced agreement on a broad range of issues, but rejected the UN agreement, which they said was not in the interests of the Libyan people. The agreement still does not have universal support in Libya.
According to reports in Africa Intelligence, a leading political publication covering the continent, the Malta meeting was considered a “serious distraction” from the UN agreement.
“Muscat’s initiative caused great displeasure in Washington, where, according to our sources, the authorities made a point of making their views known to him,” the report claimed.
An embassy spokeswoman said: “The United States, in all of its communications regarding any agreement on governance in Libya, has emphasised that the UN-facilitated process is the only process that has produced a viable political framework that can unite the country.”
The Malta meeting was considered a ‘serious distraction’... Muscat’s initiative caused great displeasure in Washington
While refusing to confirm whether any communication had been made to the Maltese government over the issue, the spokeswoman said the US had repeatedly called upon all parties in Libya to come together and support the political agreement that the Libyans had crafted over a year of negotiations.
The Maltese government did not respond to questions about the reports or whether there was any response from the United States about the decision to host the meeting.
Libya remains a divided country after an armed revolt against former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country is effectively split between the internationally recognised government exiled in Tobruk and the self-declared administration in the capital, Tripoli.
The UN political agreement paves the way for a unity government that would enjoy international support, but the Tripoli-based General National Council is still pushing for changes to the agreement, which was signed without the authorisation of either parliament.
UN special delegate Martin Kobler has reportedly refused to cede ground on any renegotiation, and tensions escalated early this month when Mr Kobler was reportedly forced to leave the country after his press conference was interrupted by a representative of the Tripoli administration.
The urgent need for an effective agreement has been highlighted by all parties, as the current political and security vacuum has also allowed Islamic State to gain a foothold in the country, where the group now controls the coastal city of Sirte.