The joint statement calling for an immediate end to the Tripoli fight represents the will of the international community to return to the parliament political track, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, said in a Wednesday tweet.
The UAE, Egypt, France, Britain, the United States, and Italy on Tuesday called for an immediate end to hostilities around Tripoli, and warned of attempts by “terrorist groups” to take advantage of the political vacuum in Libya.
This solid international stance is important for achieving peace and stability in the war-torn country, Gargash added.
The six countries reiterated in a rare joint announcement their deep concern over the ongoing clashes in Tripoli and called for an immediate de-escalation, end of the current fighting, and urged a rapid return to the political process under the auspices of the United Nations.
Voicing the concerns about the ongoing attempts by terrorist groups to “exploit the security vacuum” in the country, the statement called on all parties of the Tripoli conflict to “dissociate themselves from all such terrorists.”
“We need to re-energize UN mediation, which aims to promote a transitional government representing all Libyans, prepare for credible parliamentary and presidential elections, enable a fair allocation of resources, and advance the reunification of the Central Bank of Libya and other Libyan sovereign institutions,” it said.
Libya has remained beset by turmoil since the 2011 uprising led to the ouster and death of long-serving President Muammar Qaddafi after more than four decades in power.
Since then, the country’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power – one in Tobruk led by the Libyan National Army Commander Khalifa Haftar, and the UN-recognized one in Tripoli supported by a host of heavily-armed militia groups.
