UN ‘encouraged’ by Libyan calls to resume peace talks amid recent turmoil
- More than 16,000 Libyans have been displaced in recent days by the latest bout of fighting in the capital and the town of Tarhouna
The United Nations on Sunday said it was encouraged by calls to resume talks on ending the conflict in Libya, a day after Egypt announced a unilateral peace initiative supported by the eastern Libyan camp.
The UN support mission in Libya said the fighting over the capital, Tripoli, for more than a year “has proven, beyond any doubt, that any war among Libyans is a losing war.”
The statement urged Libyan parties to “engage swiftly and constructively” in the UN-brokered military talks aimed at reaching a lasting ceasefire agreement, “accompanied by firm implementation of and respect for the recently renewed UN Arms Embargo on Libya.”
The UN said more than 16,000 Libyans were displaced in recent days by the latest bout of fighting in the capital and the town of Tarhouna, which lies 72km (45 miles) southeast.
Oil-rich Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed.
Last year, the commander of the eastern Libyan forces, Khalifa Hifter, launched a campaign to capture Tripoli from the UN-supported but weak government there. After months of stalemate, the clashes intensified as foreign backers of both sides increasingly intervened.