Political and social leaders in the Fezzan region of southern Libya have stepped up their movements in recent days in an attempt to strengthen the region's presence in any upcoming political arrangements, amid fears of continued what they consider 'marginalization of southern Libya' in local and international initiatives proposed to end the political division that the country is witnessing, as well as in key development and livelihood services.

Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, head of the Libyan Government of National Unity (Unity)

This movement comes at a time when discussions are increasing about international initiatives to reshape power in Libya, which has prompted political components in Fezzan to move to affirm that any settlement will not be sustainable unless it includes balanced representation of the three regions and grants the south a role in political decision-making.

Al-Lafi during a meeting with leaders of the political assembly in Fezzan in Tripoli on Tuesday (Presidential Council)

In this context, a delegation from the National Political Assembly for Fezzan held two separate meetings on Tuesday with the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Stephanie Khoury, and Presidential Council member Abdullah al-Lafi, as part of a series of consultations that the Assembly has been conducting since its founding was announced last June.

The meeting with Khoury focused on the future of the political process and the recommendations of the structured political dialogue sponsored by the United Nations mission, in addition to the necessity of involving all Libyan regions in shaping the features of the next stage. The Assembly delegation also presented the priorities of the Fezzan region in governance, development, and stability files, stressing the importance of the south having effective representation in any upcoming political settlement.

The United Nations mission stated that the Fezzan representatives stressed during the meeting the historical role of the region in building the Libyan state and its institutions, and expressed their support for the political path sponsored by the United Nations as the most appropriate framework for reaching a peaceful solution to the crisis. In turn, Khoury affirmed the mission's commitment to conducting broad consultations with various Libyan components to ensure reaching a political solution that is 'Libyan-led and Libyan-owned', taking into account the specificity of Fezzan region, its history, and its geographical location.

In a separate meeting with Presidential Council member Abdullah al-Lafi, the national partnership file topped the agenda, as the two sides discussed the importance of reaching a comprehensive political settlement that ends successive transitional phases and preserves the unity and stability of the country. An agreement also emerged that the success of any political path is linked to fair representation of the Libyan regions and ensuring the south's presence in state institutions and decision-making centers, achieving greater balance in the distribution of power and development.

This movement is an extension of a series of meetings the Assembly has held since its founding with a number of officials in western Libya, including Presidential Council President Mohamed al-Menfi and Head of the High Council of State Mohamed Takala, during which it presented a vision calling for a 'fair partnership' for Fezzan in political and developmental decision-making, and representation of southerners in the leadership of sovereign and executive institutions, as the region is a key partner in any future arrangements.

Early on, the founding statement of the Assembly denied any separatist or regionalist tendencies in its project, emphasizing that it starts from adherence to the unity and sovereignty of Libya, while seeking to address what it described as 'historical developmental and political imbalances' that the south has suffered for decades, through national dialogue and peaceful work, and presenting initiatives that support stability and state-building.

However, these movements have not received consensus within Fezzan, as the head of the Supreme Council of Fezzan Elders and Notables, Ibrahim Abu Bakr Nasr, expressed reservations about the path the Assembly is taking, considering in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat that any political initiative that does not stem from broad consensus among the region's components and is not based on its social and official institutions 'will remain limited in impact'.

Nasr also considered that the Presidential Council 'does not have sufficient executive tools to turn such understandings into practical decisions, which makes its political outcomes questionable.'

Saddam Haftar (AFP)

This movement coincides with the ongoing debate over the initiative attributed to the US President's Advisor for African and Middle Eastern Affairs, Massad Boulos, which speaks of a new formula for power-sharing in Libya, including assigning the presidency of the Presidential Council to the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the 'National Army', Saddam Haftar, in exchange for the head of the 'Government of National Unity', Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, taking over the leadership of a unified government.

The National Political Assembly for Fezzan had previously announced its rejection of the initiative, as well as rejecting any external initiatives that do not take into account the participation of all Libyan parties in formulating the solution, calling for the development of a unified national position to evaluate and develop international initiatives in a way that serves the country's stability, and stressing that any political settlement will not achieve its goals if it continues to ignore the Fezzan region, which it considers a fundamental pillar in the equation of security, stability, and unity of the Libyan state.