Escalation in Libya will ‘tear the country apart’, says Germany

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - Escalating conflict in Libya threatens to do irreparable damage to the country, Germany's Foreign Minister has warned.

Speaking ahead of a UN Security Council meeting chaired by Germany on Wednesday, Heiko Maas decried the deteriorating situation in the North African nation and urged the international community to act.

"The situation in Libya is not getting better. On the contrary: the escalation of the past weeks and months threatens to tear the country apart for good. Not even a global pandemic has been able to stop this development,” Mr Maas said in a statement.

“While the whole world closed its borders, ships, planes and trucks with weapons and mercenaries arrived in Libyan cities. The people in Libya are suffering most of all. The risk of the conflict spreading in the region is also increasing,” he added.

The German foreign minister highlighted that six months had passed since his country had hosted the Berlin Conference on Libya.

The summit of world powers in January had sought to build on a tentative truce in the country and forge a path to peace after years of instability.

However, in the intervening months violence has only increased and the principal point of progress, a recommitment to Libya’s long-flouted arms embargo, lies in tatters.

The country is now more awash with arms and foreign fighters than ever.

After the decisive intervention of Turkey in recent months in Libya, the country’s Government of National Accord (GNA) has ended the year-long offensive on the capital, Tripoli, by Libyan National Army (LNA) leader Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

GNA forces, bolstered by thousands of fighters supplied by Turkey and Ankara’s air power, faced down the LNA in the strategically important coastal town of Sirte and the resource-rich oil crescent beyond.

Before Wednesday’s UN meeting Berlin hosted a video call with the UN’s acting envoy to Libya, Stephanie Williams.

In Moscow the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, was quoted as saying that Russia and Turkey are working on an immediate ceasefire agreement for the conflict in Libya.

LNA was ready to sign a ceasefire document and Mr Lavrov hoped that Turkey would manage to convince the GNA to do the same.

The UN Support Mission in Libya, which Ms Williams heads, on Tuesday said it gave its full support to Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) as it lifts force majeure nationwide.

On Wednesday NOC lifted the measures on the Es Sider oil terminal, under blockade for six months, paving the way for higher oil exports from the Opec member.