Arab League Proposes Establishing Joint Mechanism With UN To Resolve Crisis In Libya

Umer Jamshaid Published October 19, 2019 | 01:10 AM

CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2019) The Arab League (LAS) Secretary-General Aboul Gheit has proposed creating a joint mechanism with the United Nations to resolve the conflict in Libya, the LAS' press service said in a statement on Friday.

"Aboul Gheit sent an official letter [to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres] proposing creating a better mechanism to strengthen cooperation between the LAS and the UN so that the UN could enlist the League's support in its Libya work," the statement read.

In essence, such a mechanism should ensure that Arab countries support efforts of UN envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame.

According to the LAS, consultations on the creation of the joint operation with the UN on Libya are already underway.

The Arab League has also expressed regret that the battles near the Libyan capital of Tripoli had been going on for seven months now.

"It is necessary to immediately stop the fighting around Tripoli and return to the inter-Libyan political negotiations under the UN supervision," the statement said.

The battle for the Libyan capital has displaced 128,000 people since Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar ordered his eastern-based army in April to march on Tripoli to free it from what he says are "terrorists." The UN-backed government of national accord has mounted a counteroffensive. Haftar told Sputnik this week he did not see an immediate end to the military campaign.

Libya has been split between the two rival administrations since its long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was deposed and killed in the unrest of 2011.