(UTV|COLOMBO) – UAE, UK, US, France and Italy welcomed the UN-backed truce in Libya on the occasion of Eid Al Adha and invite all parties to effectively cease hostilities across Libya.
“We stand ready to assist the UN Mission in monitoring the observance of the truce and address any attempt to break it,” the countries said in a joint statement.
“The governments reaffirm their strong commitment to a quick and peaceful resolution of the Libyan crisis. We reiterate that there can be no military option in Libya, and we urge all parties to protect civilians, safeguard Libya’s oil resources, and protect its infrastructure,” the statement added.
They also condemn in the strongest terms the attack that targeted a UN convoy in Benghazi on Sunday.
Three UN staff members and two other mission members were killed in a car bomb explosion in Benghazi.
The attack came as the United Nations was brokering a truce in the capital Tripoli, where the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) force launched a surprise attack in April.
Read the full statement here:
The governments of France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States welcome the announcement of a truce in Libya on the occasion of Eid Al Adha in response to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) with the support of the Security Council (UNSC press statement on Libya of 11 August), and invite all parties to effectively cease hostilities across Libya. We stand ready to assist the UN Mission in monitoring the observance of the truce and address any attempt to break it.
As proposed by the SRSG and reaffirmed today by the Security Council, this truce should be accompanied by confidence-building measures between the parties that can pave the way for a sustainable cease-fire and a return to a constructive, inclusive dialogue.
The governments of France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States recall the obligation under international law for all UN Member States to abide by the arms embargo, in line with all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
We call on all parties to start working with no delay on a ceasefire agreement and resume efforts, under the auspices of the Special Representative of the United Nations, to build a lasting political solution, based on the principles agreed upon in Paris, Palermo, and Abu Dhabi.
The governments of France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, reaffirm their strong commitment to a quick and peaceful resolution of the Libyan crisis. We reiterate that there can be no military option in Libya, and we urge all parties to protect civilians, safeguard Libya’s oil resources, and protect its infrastructure.
The governments of France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States condemn in the strongest terms the attack that targeted a UN convoy in Benghazi yesterday. The circumstances of this vicious act must be established with no delay and those who were behind it must be identified and held accountable. We reiterate their full support to the essential work of the UN Mission in Libya.
(Agencies)
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