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NATO calls on conflicting parties in Libya to return to dialogue

May 14, 2019 at 4:48 am

20th November 2002 NATO Summit Meeting in Prague, Czech Republic North Atlantic Council Meeting at the level of Heads of State and Government

The Secretary-General of NATO called on all parties in Libya to stop fighting and return to political dialogue in order to resolve the crisis in the country.

Jens Stoltenberg stated during a meeting with the UN envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, in the Belgian capital Brussels, to discuss the latest developments in the security situation in Libya, according to Anadolu Agency.

Stoltenberg said that the armed clashes in Libya deepened the wounds of the Libyan people and that the military approach is not the answer for resolving the current crisis. He expressed his concern about the situation in Libya, calling on the parties to the table of discussion.

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He indicated: “the NATO is ready to support the establishment of security institutions in Libya, and we can do so at the request of the Libyan government”.

On 4 April, Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Hafter launched an attack on Tripoli. Shortly after, Haftar’s forces managed to enter four major cities that shield covering the Libyan capital, namely, Sabratha, Sorman, Gharyan, and Tarhuna.

Haftar’s troupes have also penetrated the southern suburbs of Tripoli while suffering several setbacks as they withdrew in more than one axis and failed to infiltrate the military cordon around the city centre which includes the headquarters of the government.

Since 2011, Libya has been witnessing a struggle for legitimacy and power, which is currently concentrated between the internationally recognized Government of National Accord and Hafter who leads the army in the east.