Former Libyan president, Muammar Gaddafi murdered by rebels supported by United States and France.
from AHMED ZAYED in Tripoli, Libya
TRIPOLI, (CAJ News) – LIBYA is on the verge of fresh fighting as foreign countries violate an arms embargo they committed to only a week ago.
Countries arming the warring parties made the commitment on January 19 following what was then hailed as a successful International Conference on Libya, held in Berlin, the German capital.
This gave a major boost to the January 12 truce agreed by the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA), which led to a remarked reduction of hostilities in the local capital, Tripoli.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed deep regret this fragile truce was now under threat by the ongoing transfer of foreign fighters, weapons, ammunition and advanced systems to the parties by member states, including several who participated in the Berlin Conference.
The peacekeeping mission reported that over the last ten days, numerous cargo and other flights had been observed landing at airports in eastern and western Libya providing rival forces with advanced weapons, armoured vehicles, advisers and fighters.
“The mission condemns these ongoing violations, which risk plunging the country into a renewed and intensified round of fighting,” it stated.
The conference in Germany, widely endorsed globally, was seen as a window of opportunity for the oil-rich North African country of 6,8 million people to regain peace.
Conflict has torn Libya apart since a rebellion against Muammar Gaddafi, who was eventually unseated and murdered in 2011.
Since the latest outbreak in April last year, some 285 civilians have been killed and 365 injured.
More than 140 000 persons have been forced to flee their homes.
– CAJ News