UN Secretary-General condemns air strike on Maitigua airport
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has "strongly" condemned the military escalation and ongoing fighting in and around Tripoli, including the air strike on Monday by an aircraft of the Libyan national army (LNA) on Maitigua airport.
An air strike was carried out on Monday by a jet fighter of the Libyan national army led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar on Maitigua airport, the only operational civil airport in the Libyan capital, leading to the suspension of the air traffic.
On Monday evening, in a statement to the press, his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said that the Secretary-General urged that all military operations be immediately stopped in order to defuse the situation and prevent a large-scale conflict.
According to him, Mr. Guterres underlined that there was no military solution to the Libyan conflict and called for "all parties to initiate an immediate dialogue with a view to reaching a political solution."
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Libya is ready to facilitate this dialogue, Dujarric said.
The UN envoy in Libya, Ghassan Salamé, affirmed that the dates for the inclusive national conference remain 14 to 16 April in Ghadamès, aimed at bringing the Libyans to a consensus on the holding of general elections to end the transition, despite the ongoing military escalation.
"The Secretary-General also reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law to ensure the safety of all civilians. All Libyans deserve peace, security, prosperity and respect for human rights," Dujarric stated.
Salamé also condemned the air strike, believing that "this attack is a serious violation of international humanitarian law which prohibits attacks on civil infrastructures".
Since the announcement by the Libyan national army, led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar of the attack, on Thursday on the capital and the western region, more than 46 people have been killed and more than 50 others wounded during clashes with forces loyal to the government of national accord in the south of the city.
These clashes have displaced 2,800, according to the UN humanitarian coordinator in Libya, Maria Ribeiro, who deplored that civilians do not have access to emergency care in the fighting areas near Tripoli.
The fighting continued throughout the day on Monday in the southern periphery of Tripoli.
On the diplomatic level, the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the European countries condemned the military escalation, reiterating the need for restraint by all parties, in order to resume dialogue in order to achieve a political solution under the auspices of the United Nations.
Earlier on Monday, the United States demanded the immediate cessation of the fighting around Tripoli, calling through the Secretary of State, Mike Pampeo, the forces of the Libyan national army to cease military actions and return to their previous positions.
Diplomatic efforts are continuing at all levels at the United Nations, in Russia, in France and in Italy, to defuse the growing tension around the Libyan capital and prevent Libya from plunging into a devastating civil war that can affect the region and the world.
-0- PANA BY/JSG/BBA/VAO 9April2019
