UN Envoy calls for end to Tripoli war amid deadlock on the ground
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Libya, Ghassan Salamé, has noted that the War in Tripoli, which began eight months ago, is deadlocked on the ground and called for it to end.
"We have seen a deadlock on the ground and this has meant that many regions of Libya have been taken and then retaken over by both sides" in the conflict, Salamé said during his speech to the Mediterranean Security Forum, held on 6 and 7 December in Rome, Italy, excerpts of which were published on Monday.
Salamé, who is also Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), stressed the need to end the war.
"We must stop this war. I regret to say that deep divisions within the international community have prevented the Security Council from acting in Libya," he said.
The UN Security Council has failed to adopt a resolution on the crisis in Libya since the launch of the military offensive by the Libyan National Army (LNA) of Marshal Khalifa Haftar on 4 April to take control of Tripoli and overthrow the Government of National Accord (GNA) presided over by Fayez al-Sarraj and recognised by the international community.
The UN envoy also protested against external interference in Libya that is fuelling the conflict.
"Since the beginning of the war, the level of interference by external powers has increased. Instead, we have tried to focus on the local scene and limit this external interference," he said.
In this regard, he said that "polarization in Libya reflects international polarization," referring to the antagonisms between Western powers within the United Nations.
UN experts accuse a dozen countries of directly interfering in the conflict in Libya by sending weapons in violation of an embargo imposed in 2011.
"I ask the Security Council for a new line. The second step is to bring together the five members of the Security Council, as well as other countries, to find an international consensus on Libya," Salamé suggested.
It is noted that the Berlin International Conference on Libya scheduled for mid-January will bring together the permanent members of the Security Council, as well as some countries interested in Libyan affairs, such as Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
This meeting should lead to the adoption of a ceasefire reviving the political process in Libya as a prelude to a peace agreement between Libyans whose implementation will be monitored by a committee created by the Berlin Conference.
In this context, Mr Salamé stressed: "We need a commitment from all countries to be on the side of the agreement: to respect what is agreed in Berlin and produced by the Libyan dialogue."
-0- PANA BY/JSG/SOC/BBA/MA 9Dec2019
