Almost a month after the conference in Berlin, the UN Security Council voted on Wednesday (February 12th) for a resolution calling for a "lasting cease-fire" to succeed Libya's fragile truce since January. It is the first resolution of the UN body since the relaunch of the conflict in April 2019.

The text, drafted by the United Kingdom, was approved by 14 votes out of 15, Russia having abstained.

It had been the subject of arduous discussions for more than three weeks, illustrating persistent divisions of the international community on the Libyan file in spite of the unity displayed at a summit in Berlin on January 19, in which the Russian presidents and whose countries each support one of the two opposing parties in Libya.

The resolution "affirms the need for a lasting ceasefire in Libya, at the earliest opportunity and without preconditions".

In this text, London has chosen to maintain the mention of "concern (of the Council) at the increasing involvement of mercenaries in Libya".

The mention was behind Russia's blockage of talks last week, with Moscow claiming to replace the word "mercenaries" with "foreign terrorist fighters".

With AFP

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