KT edit: Make room for political solution in Libya

The declaration of a ceasefire in Libya should set the stage for a viable dialogue that can pave way for a more durable solution to the conflict. Libya has been riven with violence since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and ceasefire agreements in the past haven't lived long enough to bring any tangible change. The ongoing civil war has ripped the country apart, robbing it of years of constructive development. Peace and progress have been elusive for most of the past decade. People have been driven to despair and their problems have been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.  
The UAE is supportive of the agreement and sees solution in dialogue. "It is time for guns to fall silent as the solution in sisterly Libya is invariably political through an inclusive dialogue based on agreed international and regional terms of reference," Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, had said in a tweet.  
Libya is an oil-rich country. It has the largest reserves in Africa, with a daily potential production of 1.2m barrels of crude oil. The ongoing civil war has thus attracted countries like Turkey that wish to exploit the situation for its gains. The two statements issued by the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord, Fayez Al Sarraj, and the Speaker of the Libya House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, call for resumption of oil production and export. There is a valid argument that oil revenues should be blocked in a special account at the Libyan Foreign Bank, and should not be touched until a political settlement is reached. But whether the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord will honour such commitments is something that is debatable. The GNA is backed by Turkey, which has been playing a destabilising role. The Turkish government has strengthened its involvement in Libya and could use this ceasefire phase to its advantage. If on one hand, Ankara appears to be playing a part in resolving the standoff in Jufra and Sirte, on the other, it continues to embolden Tripoli. Turkey had deployed Syrian mercenaries in Libya and it is now looking to provide military training and cooperation to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), which could bring a new order to the civil war. The conflict in Libya can be resolved only through dialogue - there are no ways about it. Political leaders in Libya should put the interests of Libyans before their own.