EU only supports peaceful solution in Libya

BRUSSELS

The EU on Monday called on all parties of the Libyan conflict to cease military actions and resume the political dialogue.

“There is no military solution to the crisis in Libya. The only way to settle it must be a political one, negotiated on the basis of the proposals recently put forward by the United Nations,” Peter Stano, the lead spokesperson of the EU’s External Action Service pointed out in a statement responding to the recent growing tensions in the African country.

Since September, several high-level meetings were held in the German capital to put an end to the conflict ongoing since 2011. The negotiations are known as Berlin peace process.

Monday’s EU statement reiterated the bloc’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Libyan conflict and reminded of the UN arms embargo.

Spokesperson Stano also declared the Berlin process led by UN Special Representative Ghassan Salame, “the only avenue towards relaunching the Libyan political process and to rebuild a peaceful, stable and secure Libya.”

On Dec. 12, Warlord Khalifa Haftar launched a new operation to seize the capital Tripoli, which had been under siege since April. Haftar is the leader of the Eastern power center of the divided country, aiming at taking over the control from Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj.

Haftar is supported by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and Russian mercenaries have been recently reported to join his forces.

Turkey and Libya signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean earlier this month and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered Al-Sarraj to deploy Turkish troops in support of his government against Haftar’s attacks.