CAIRO — In what observers considered a new challenge for the 5+5 Joint Military Commission talks in Geneva and a desire to obstruct the peace endeavors between Libyan parties, Qatar signed a military agreement Nov. 13 with the Government of National Accord (GNA) based in western Libya to “train and build military capacities.” This step allows Qatar to boost its military presence on Libyan territories.

The military agreement, which is the first of its kind with Qatar, crowns a memorandum of understanding signed Oct. 26 between the GNA’s Ministry of Interior and its Qatari counterpart for security cooperation in Doha. The agreement was concluded in the presence of Qatari Minister of Interior Khalid Bin Khalifa Bin Abdul Aziz al-Thani, Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Taher Siala and Libyan Minister of Interior Fathi Bashagha.

The agreement prompted many questions, especially coming after Libyan parties signed a permanent cease-fire in October after years of war and after the rival parties agreed to hold elections under UN auspices within 18 months.

In response to Qatar’s intervention to support the GNA militarily in its war against the Libyan National Army (LNA) based in the east and led by Khalifa Hifter, LNA spokesperson Ahmed al-Mesmari said in an Oct. 26 statement that any military agreements with the GNA are a violation of the outcomes of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission talks in Geneva and a hypocritical attempt to undermine what the parties agreed on in Switzerland, including the cease-fire and ending foreign intervention in Libyan affairs. Mesmari accused Qatar of using its agents in Libya to pass security agreements to support terrorism.