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Iran urges respect for Libya’s integrity, right to decide own political fate

Thursday, 18 June 2020 5:28 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 18 June 2020 5:53 AM ]

A member of Libyan government forces mans the turret of a technical (pickup truck mounted with turret) as behind him others fire rounds in the air while celebrating in Tarhouna on June 5, 2020 after retaking the town from rebels loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar. (Photo by AFP)

Iran has underlined the need for respecting Libya’s territorial integrity amid increasing foreign intervention there, saying the conflict gripping the North African country has no military solution and should be settled through intra-Libyan dialog.

“The Islamic Republic has always emphasized the need for respecting Libyan people’s right to determine their own political fate free from foreign interference,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Wednesday.

He further said “Iran believes there is no military solution to the crisis in the country, and that the only way to achieve stability and calm in Libya is for all countries regional and international players having an influence in the developments there to support the political process and the launch of intra-Libyan talks with the participation of all [Libyan] warring sides.”

Mousavi also expressed support for international efforts to end the political turmoil in Libya, underscoring the necessity of keeping up the diplomatic process.

Libya has been in chaos since 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

UN envoy urges end to foreign support for warring sides in Libya

The UN’s acting envoy for Libya calls on the Security Council to press countries to end their sponsorship of warring sides in the North African country.

Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged, namely the internationally-recognized Libyan government headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli, and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk under the command of renegade General Khalifa Haftar.

The country has, over the past year, turned into a new scene of rivalry since April 2019, when Haftar’s rebel forces launched an offensive to seize the capital and unseat the Sarraj government, triggering some of the most intense fighting in the country.

Foreign players — mainly Turkey, Qatar, the UAE and Russia — are increasingly involved in this chapter of the conflict, sparking fears of a proxy war in the oil-rich North African state.

Recently, Germany and Egypt put forward peace initiative for Libya, but failed to bring the conflicting parties to the negotiating table.

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