WASHINGTON, D.C.
All sides involved in ongoing fighting in Libya should lay down their arms and commit to a political settlement, the U.S. and its European allies said Friday.
Fears have mounted recently that Libya is slipping toward civil war after forces loyal to renegade general Khalifa Haftar took up arms against militias serving as part of Libya’s regular army.
Haftar said his campaign, dubbed "Operation Dignity," is aimed at purging Libya of extremists.
In an effort to stave off the crisis, the Libyan government proposed that parliament go into recess until fresh parliamentary polls could be held.
“Libya is at a crossroads,” according to a joint statement from the U.S. and the EU, including France, German, Italy and the U.K., released by the State Department on Friday.
The group is “deeply concerned by the repeated acts of violence, call on all sides to refrain from the use of force and to address differences by political means,” according to the statement.
It is imperative that Libya hold parliamentary elections as soon as possible, they added.
The U.S. and its allies further pledged their support for an inclusive reconciliation process with the support of the United Nations.
By Michael Hernandez
(With additional reporting by Mohamed al-Nagem in Libya.)
www.aa.com.tr/en
