Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 26 July 2017

Libyan rivals agree in France to cease-fire, elections

of U.N.’s newly appointed mats had said before the
special envoy for Libya, meeting that they would
Ghassan Salame. support such an initiative.
“There is political legitima- “The stakes of this reconcili-
cy in the hands of Mr. Ser- ation are enormous. Enor-
raj. There is military legiti- mous for the Libyan people,
macy is in the hands of Mr. who have been suffering,
Hifter. They have decided living with instability and
to work together,” Macron terrorist threats these past
said after the series of en- years, and it is consider-
counters. able for the whole region,”
The 10-point joint declara- Macron said after the talks.
tion that capped the talks “If Libya fails,” he said, “the
was the first of its kind be- whole region fails with it.”
tween the rivals. The stakes are high for Eu-
Among the points agreed rope, too, as hundreds of
upon was a commitment thousands of migrants us-
to a cease-fire with armed ing Libya as a springboard
force reserved “strictly” for reach its shores, mainly in It-
use in counter-terrorism op- aly, and as Islamic extrem-
erations. ists sheltering and multiply-
The rivals also “solemnly ing in Libya cross to other
From left to right, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Libya’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sar- commit to work toward the North African states, most
raj of the U.N.-backed government, President Emmanuel Macron and General Khalifa Hifter of the holding of presidential and former French colonies.
Egyptian-backed commander of Libya’s self-styled national army walk to a media conference at
the Chateau of the La Celle-Saint-Cloud, west of Paris, France, Tuesday, July 25, 2017. parliamentary elections as The encounter was never
(Philippe Wojazer/Pool Photo via AP) soon as possible.” expected to resolve the
The French president said knotty problems of Lib-
By ELAINE GANLEY finding a roadmap to se- minister of the U.N.-backed later that the goal is for ya, politically fractured
NADINE LESAGE cure lawless Libya against unity government, and balloting in the spring. Ser- and awash in militias and
Associated Press terrorism and trafficking of Gen. Khalifa Hifter, the raj had said in May that weapons and human traf-
LA CELLE SAINT-CLOUD, all kinds, according to a Egyptian-backed com- elections would be held in fickers preying on migrants
France (AP) — Two rival document released by the mander of Libya’s self- spring. The date may seem who use the Libyan coast
Libyan leaders committed French presidency. styled national army. premature in a country as a jumping off point to
themselves on Tuesday to The meetings at a chateau Macron met separately that has spiraled into chaos Europe, mainly Italy. But the
a cease-fire, working to- in La Celle Saint-Cloud, with each ahead of an en- since the 2011 toppling and joint declaration is to serve
ward presidential and par- west of Paris, brought to- counter between the two killing of leader Moammar as a basis for further work
liamentary elections and gether Fayez Serraj, prime Libyans in the presence Gadhafi. But French diplo- by the U.N. envoy. q
UK Brexit minister: progress made in talks on citizen rights

PRAGUE (AP) — Britain’s wants the court to be the those four million people the EU court to become an support of the European
Brexit minister said Tuesday final arbiter on many issues and give them some cer- ultimate arbiter. Court of Justice, the Euro-
that progress has been after a Brexit agreement, tainty in the future,” he said. “When, for example, we pean Parliament said on
made in talks with the Euro- something Britain rejects. He noted that other top is- strike a deal, let’s say, with Tuesday it wants Britain’s
pean Union on the rights of Davis said his government sues in negotiations “are the United States we don’t Brexit deal to be directly en-
citizens living in each oth- wants a quick deal on the making progress.” give the United States’ Su- forceable and to “include
er’s nations once the coun- rights of one million U.K. Those issues include how preme Court rights in Britain a mechanism in which the
try leaves the bloc. citizens living in the EU, and much Britain will pay to to enforce that. And the European Court of Justice
But after meeting Czech three million EU citizens liv- meet its obligations as part same with any other for- can play its full role.”
Foreign Minister Lubomir ing in Britain. of any Brexit deal, and how eign power.” The European Parliament,
Zaoralek, David Davis said “We want to do this quickly to manage the border with He said that “any future ar- which has the right to veto
disagreements remain over as a moral imperative be- Ireland. rangements will be subject any future Brexit deal, said
the role of the European cause we want to take But he said Britain was not ... to U.K. Parliament’s ap- progress on one issue is not
Court of Justice. The EU away the anxiety of all of willing to give the right to proval.” In a statement in enough.q