BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th June, 2020) Germany, France and Italy are calling on all parties to the Libyan conflict to immediately cease hostilities without any preconditions, a joint statement of the nations' foreign ministries said.
"In light of the growing risks of a deterioration of the situation in Libya and regional escalation, France, Germany and Italy call on all Libyan parties to immediately and unconditionally cease fighting and to suspend the ongoing military build-up throughout the Country," the statement said on late Thursday.
The three countries called on all foreign nations to stop any interference in Libya's internal affairs as well as to respect the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations.
The foreign ministries also stressed the need to conclude the talks within the 5+5 military working group, which includes five senior officers from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and the rival Libyan National Army (LNA), to achieve a sustainable ceasefire agreement..
"All efforts in this regard, including the Egyptian initiative announced on 6 June, must be encouraged. Any initiative in support of a cease-fire agreement and of negotiated political settlement of the Libyan crisis must be fully inclusive and be firmly anchored to the architecture of the Berlin Process which remains the only viable framework," the statement added.
Libya has been split between the two rival administrations in the west and east. Khalifa Haftar's LNA launched an offensive against GNA in Tripoli last year and made significant gains, but in recent weeks, the troops affiliated with the GNA have made major military gains against Haftar's army.
On June 6, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi announced a new peace initiative after meeting Haftar and Aguila Saleh, the head of Libya's eastern-based parliament. The initiative envisioned a ceasefire beginning at 06:00 a.m. (04:00 GMT) on June 8, the withdrawal of foreign troops, unification of Libya's state institutions, and equal representation of all three main geographical regions of the country in the presidential council. However, the clashes between the LNA and the GNA are still taking place.
