UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres hopes his presence at the international conference on Libya in Berlin over the weekend will help end foreign interference in that country's war and bolster peace negotiations between the warring parties, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during a press briefing
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2020) UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres hopes his presence at the international conference on Libya in Berlin over the weekend will help end foreign interference in that country's war and bolster peace negotiations between the warring parties, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during a press briefing.
"The secretary-general will be heading off to Berlin today to attend the Berlin Conference on Sunday being organized by the Germans," Dujarric told reporters on Friday. "What we hope comes out of Berlin is a renewed demonstration of international unity in supporting the intra Libyan political process, ending foreign interference leading to full respect for the UN arms embargo."
The latest of more than a half dozen Libyan peace conferences will attempt to break a deadlock between the nation's internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and the rebel Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar.
For the past nine months Haftar's have laid siege to the GNA in Tripoli in fighting that had killed hundreds of civilians, thousands of fighters and displaced thousands of fighters. However, Haftar's advance has stalled on the outskirts of the capital for months.
Both Hafter and GNA leader Fayez al-Sarraj are expected to attend the conference in Berlin, according to the latest media reports.
The GNA is backed by Turkey and Qatar, while Haftar, who backs a rival administration in Libya's east, has the support of neighboring Egypt as well as Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
Libya has been locked in civil war between rival armed groups since the 2011 overthrow of longtime ruler Muammar Gadhafi by US- and EU-supported Islamic extremists.
Also at Friday's press briefing, Dujarric called for the immediate release of Siham Sergewa, an elected member of the House of Representatives, who was seized at night from her home in Benghazi six months ago. Since Sergewa's violent abduction, her fate remains unknown, Dujarric said.
