African Union Ready To Go To Libya To Monitor Ceasefire Regime - Commissioner

MUNICH (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2020) The African Union (AU) is ready to send observers to Libya to monitor the ceasefire regime, AU's Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui said.

"The African Union would be ready to go to Libya. It is very important to maintain a ceasefire on the spot," Chergui said at the Munich Security Conference, adding that it could be both civilian and military observers.

Libya has experienced severe political crises since 2011 after the US- and EU-supported Islamic extremists ousted and murdered the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi. Since then, the country has been split into two rival administrations: the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) that controls Tripoli and parts of western Libya, and the government supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA) that holds the eastern part of the country.

On January 19, Berlin hosted an international conference on Libyan reconciliation attended by 16 states and entities, including Turkey, Russia and the United States. The participants adopted a joint communique pledging to refrain from assisting the warring parties and observing the arms embargo on Libya.

Alongside calls for a ceasefire, participants at the Berlin peace conference urged the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on those who would breach any truce agreement.