UN condemns escalation of hostilities in western Libya, calls for immediate ceasefire | WPN World People News

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has condemned the grave escalation in hostilities in western Libya, particularly in the Aziziya area in Warshafana, a region whose towns in recent days have undergone considerable destruction from intermittent battles on April 11.

An estimated 400,000 people are displaced across Libya, including this man at a site near the capital, Tripoli.

The people who live in Warshafana are enduring immense hardship, with many civilians displaced, abducted and tortured, and in dire need of humanitarian aid, the Mission said today in a statement.

“The Mission urges all parties to take all necessary measures to ensure the right of return for all those displaced from the area, and that none are illegally detained and prosecuted outside the scope of the law,” it added, calling for an end to the fighting so that residents can resume their normal day-to-day living.

UNSMIL commended efforts to reach a ceasefire and offered its good offices and available technical expertise to assist the parties in bringing an end to the fighting.

“The Mission also reiterates its warnings to the warring parties that the targeting of civilians could amount to crimes punishable under international humanitarian law,” the note also said.

Significant progress is being made in the UNSMIL-facilitated Libyan political dialogue process with the aim of reaching a comprehensive resolution of the political crisis and military conflict in Libya, the Mission emphasized, reiterating its call on all parties in Libya to desist from taking any military actions that could constitute a provocation in the current environment of heightened tensions.

UNSMIL also called on the parties to safeguard national institutions by refraining from taking any steps that could compromise neutrality that is so crucial for Libya's economic survival.

An estimated 400,000 people are displaced across Libya, including this man at a site near the capital, Tripoli.

Source: United Nations