UN urges rival Libya forces to agree humanitarian truce

Fighters loyal to the Libyan Government of National Accord carry a wounded comrade during clashes against forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar, on May 21, 2019 in the Salah al-Din area south of Tripoli. PHOTO | MAHMUD TURKIA | AFP

By  AFP

What you need to know:

  • Strongman Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army launched an offensive against Tripoli -- seat of the Government of National Accord -- in early April.
  • Over the past four months, 1,093 people have been killed in fighting, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with forces loyal to the GNA keeping Haftar's troops at bay on the southern outskirts of the city.
  • The clashes since early April have wounded 5,752 people and displaced more than 100,000, the WHO says.

TRIPOLI,

The United Nations has called on forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognised government and a rival administration to commit to a humanitarian truce by midnight on Friday.

The UN mission in Libya "calls on all parties to accept a humanitarian truce for Eid Al-Adha", it said in a statement on Twitter late Thursday, referring to the Muslim festival of sacrifice that begins on Saturday.

Also Read

"The mission hopes to receive written agreement from the parties no later than midnight (2200 GMT) on Friday", the statement said.

Strongman Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army launched an offensive against Tripoli -- seat of the Government of National Accord -- in early April.

MANY KILLED

Over the past four months, 1,093 people have been killed in fighting, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with forces loyal to the GNA keeping Haftar's troops at bay on the southern outskirts of the city.

UN envoy Ghassan Salame has already called several times for humanitarian truces, without success.

In a video conference with the UN Security Council late in July, Salame warned against mounting tensions and called for a ceasefire for Eid Al-Adha.

The clashes since early April have wounded 5,752 people and displaced more than 100,000, the WHO says.

Libya has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

In the headlines