Ghannouchi opposes military intervention in Libya

The head of Tunisia’s Ennahda party Rachid Ghannouchi yesterday said that he opposes military intervention in Libya, calling on the Libyan parties to sit down for dialogue, the Anadolu Agency reported.

In video footage posted on the movement’s website, Ghannouchi said: “We are against any military intervention in Libya.”

“We call on our sons, brothers and elders of Libya to lay down arms and react positively with initiative championed by Algeria and the United Nations to help prevent foreign intervention.”

Ghannouchi stressed that he supports his country’s official position on the situation in Libya, saying: “We support the Tunisian official position in standing on an equal footing in regard to all the Libyan parties and we call on the Libyan parties to follow Tunisia’s example, let down their arms and resort to dialogue to resolve the country’s crisis.”

The United Nations Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Bernardino Leon has been leading efforts since September last year aimed at resolving Libya’s security and political crisis.

On Monday the Egyptian army carried out airstrikes against alleged Islamic State sites in the city of Darnah, Libya, in retaliation for the killing of 21 Egyptian Copts.

On Wednesday Jordan distributed during UN Security Council emergency meeting on the situation in Libya an Egyptian draft resolution calling for the lifting of the arms embargo on Libya.