UN Mission in Libya calls for cessation of hostilities

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The United Nations Support Mission in Libya says it is "alarmed" by the fighting in Greater Tripoli and Tarhouna and by its consequences on the civilian population.

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More than 16,000 Libyans have reportedly fled in recent days. Government forces launched an operation to retake the city of Sirte on Saturday, the day when the head of rival troops, Khalifa Haftar, said he was in favor of a ceasefire from Monday. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi had called for "  respect for international efforts  " and proposed a ceasefire from 6 am local time. The UN in turn calls for an end to arms to give peace a chance.

For the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (Manul), in the war which today opposes the troops of the Libyan government of national unity with those of Marshal Haftar, "  there can be no real winner, only heavy losses  ”for a people who have suffered from the conflict for more than nine years.

But the most disturbing, points out the Manul, are the reports of the discovery of "  a certain number of corpses  " at the Tarhouna hospital . The UN calls on the authorities of the Libyan government of national unity to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation into these suspicious deaths and into numerous reports of looting and destruction of public and private property in Tarhouna and Alasabaa which, in some case, specifies the UN still, "  seem to be acts of reprisals and revenge  ".

In light of these events, Manul reminds all parties of the need to respect the rule of law, human rights and humanitarian law. And "  for the talks to resume seriously  ", Manul insists that "  weapons must be silenced  ".

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• Libya
• UN

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