The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has welcomed the EU Foreign Affairs Council’s call for all warring groups in Libya to commit to a ceasefire and return to UN-led mediation.
“The EU calls on all parties to immediately implement a ceasefire and to engage with the United Nations to ensure a full and comprehensive cessation of hostilities,” EU foreign ministers said in a Monday statement after meeting Libyan UN-backed Prime Minister Faiez al-Serraj in Brussels.
“It also calls on them to dissociate themselves both publicly and on the ground from terrorist and criminal elements involved in the fighting, and from those suspected of war crimes, including individuals listed by the UN Security Council,” the statement said.
In a statement, the UNSML supported the European statement as the attack on Tripoli and violence “threaten international peace and security” and pose a threat to Libya’s stability.
The mission called on all parties to comply with their obligations under the arms embargo laws and international humanitarian and human rights laws.
Earlier, the UNSMIL called for a one-week truce in the capital Tripoli, which is witnessing ongoing clashes between the UN-backed government and the east-based army.
The UNSMIL urged Libyan parties to “allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need and to ensure the freedom of movement for civilians during this truce.”
“The mission encourages all parties to use the truce to exchange prisoners and the bodies of the deceased and expresses its readiness to provide the necessary support in this regard,” the mission added.
