Soon after the start of the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) military campaign in the western region, mainly Tripoli, many foreign countries and international agencies called for avoiding violence and adopting the political path for the Libyan crisis.
“There is no military solution to Libya’s crisis,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, after the LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar ordered an offensive on Tripoli.
“I want to make a strong appeal to stop… the escalation,” Guterres told reporters at the U.N. compound in Tripoli.
The U.N. chief was in Tripoli visiting the internationally recognized Prime Minister Faiez al-Sarraj when the LNA started its advance on Tripoli.
Guterres’ visit came ahead of the planned U.N.-backed talks aimed at developing a “road map” towards political reconciliation for the divided country.
The United States strongly condemned what it described as escalation and repeated its call for restraint.
Moreover, the European Union warned of an “unmanageable confrontation” and called all players to focus only on national interest.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and his deputy, Matteo Salvini, also expressed their concerns about the escalation in Libya.
Also, the United Kingdom called on all parties to focus on the upcoming National Forum as the only way out of the crisis.
Canada demanded the rival parties to adopt the political dialogue instead of military confrontation.
The United States-Italy joint control room on Libya must be activated and a solution to the serious military escalation in Libya should be resolved through diplomatic channels, Italy’s Five Star Movement said on Thursday.
In a voice recording released online, Haftar ordered his forces to only use their weapons for self-defense, to protect the property of Libyans, and ensure the safety of the country’s “foreign guests.”
“Today we are responding to the call of our people in our precious capital, as we promised them,” Haftar said.
“Today, we will shake the earth beneath the feet of the oppressors.”
“Those who lay down their weapons are safe. Those who remain in their homes are safe. Those who raise the white flag are safe,” Haftar added.
Dozens of militias have fought for controlling Libya since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
Haftar’s LNA has emerged as a key player. It opposes the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord led by al-Sarraj which is based in Tripoli in the west of the country, and is aligned with a parallel administration in Tobruk in the east.
The GNA, which was established in 2015 under a U.N.-led initiative agreed upon by the Tobruk government, accuses Haftar of wanting to install a military dictatorship.
An urgent U.N. Security Council meeting called in response to Haftar’s offensive was held on Friday night.
