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News > Libya

European Union Urges Libya Truce, Resumption of Peace Talks

  • A Libyan soldier watches his fellow while reloading a machine gun at a checkpoint in Ajdabiya, Libya.

    A Libyan soldier watches his fellow while reloading a machine gun at a checkpoint in Ajdabiya, Libya. | Photo: EFE

Published 25 April 2020
Opinion

“We call on all the Libyan actors to get inspired by the spirit of the Holy Ramadan, engage in resuming talks for a genuine ceasefire,” said the statement.

The foreign affairs ministers of Germany, France, Italy, and the European High Representative for Foreign Affair made a joint call Saturday for a humanitarian truce in Libya, urging all sides must resume peace talks.

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“We call on all the Libyan actors to get inspired by the spirit of the Holy Ramadan, engage in resuming talks for a genuine ceasefire,” said the statement, signed by the EU’s Josep Borrell, France’s Jean-Yves Le Drian, Italy’s Luigi di Maio and Heiko Maas of Germany, adding that their “call” is that of the U.N. to halt fighting amid the global pandemic. 

Back in January, an agreement to respect the disregarded international arms embargo on Libya was the result of the German-led peace summit, attended by countries with interests in the conflict and the two warring sides, including the UAE.

"We agreed on a comprehensive plan forward," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, adding that they all “agree that we should respect the arms embargo and that the arms embargo should be controlled more strongly than it has been in the past."

The LNA, which is backed by Egypt, the UAE, France, and Russia, has been fighting off a year-long offensive over Tripoli which is the last stronghold of Fayez al Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA), which is backed by Turkey, Qatar, and Italy.

From 2014 and on, Libya has had two political power centers, the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, that is having a hard time governing the capital city and some western areas, and another government in Tobruk, an eastern city which has remained under Haftar's control.

The North-African nation which has major oil reserves had been under foreign rule for centuries and gained independence in 1951. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi seized power in 1969 and ruled the country for four decades until he was ousted in 2011 by Western military intervention. 

According to the U.N., more than 280 civilians and about 2,000 fighters have been killed and 146,000 Libyans displaced since Haftar launched his assault to seize the capital.

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