The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) organized a two-day symposium, bringing together military leaders and local observers to discuss the phenomenon of spreading hate speech and misinformation that threatens the country’s stability.
Members of the Joint Military Commission (5+5), local ceasefire monitors, and members of the Security Arrangements Sub-Committee participated in the symposium, exchanging views on how this negative discourse impacts the ceasefire agreement and Libyan social fabric.
During the discussions, the focus was on the devastating effects of hate speech, prevalent across traditional media and social media platforms, which contributes to deepening social divisions and undermining peace efforts.
Participants discussed practical ways to counter this phenomenon based on Article 5 of the ceasefire agreement signed in October 2020, which calls for a ceasing media incitement.
In a statement, UNSMIL emphasized “the urgent need to put an end to all forms of incitement currently prevalent in the media and social media, and to counter deliberate attempts to deepen divisions among the Libyan people, which threaten national unity based on rich cultural diversity.”
The mission called on “wise individuals and local and national authorities to intensify efforts to reduce the intensity of rhetorical tensions and address the root causes of the current escalation.”
This symposium comes at a time when Libya is witnessing an escalation of incitement, raising concerns about undermining the fragile stability achieved after years of conflict.
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