Special Representative of UN Secretary-General (SRGC) Ghassan Salame insisted that the political solution was the way to end the crisis in Libya.
He said his recent meeting with Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar focused on shortening the period leading to a political solution after the end of military operations in Tripoli. The SRGC told local media after his visit to Benghazi that he found a number of elements to reach a political political solution according to Haftar’s vision.
On April 4, the LNA had launched an operation against Tripoli to rid it of criminal and terrorist gangs.
Upon his return to Tripoli from his tour of the eastern region, Salame and his Deputy for Political Affairs Stephanie Williams discussed with head of the unrecognized High Council of State Khaled al-Mishri the humanitarian situation and ways to increase UN support in this area.
Mishri said Salame briefed him on the results of his visit to the eastern region.
He added that the Council is working on ensuring the success of the political initiatives that are based on the political agreement, but he refuses to hold negotiations with parties that “advocate aggression and impose their ideologies and opinions on others by force.”
Salame also discussed the need to expedite the quest for a political solution and the return to the political process, stressing that there can be no military solution to the Libyan crisis.
The envoy also briefed head of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Saraj on his meetings in the East.
On Wednesday, Sarraj had discussed with GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha the security situation in Tripoli and surrounding areas, as well as the measures taken to restore security.
The situation on the ground was relatively calm for the second consecutive day between the warring LNA and GNA forces.
Meanwhile, the French embassy in Libya welcomed the Interior Minister’s decision to resume bilateral cooperation with Paris in the field of security and training.
The embassy said it is looking forward to cooperate again in the fight against terrorism and open new horizons in the area of training, combating money laundering, and organized crime.
The Ministry had in April suspended the security cooperation with Paris over what it saw as the French government's support for Haftar.
A total of 739 people have been killed and 4,407 others injured in the fighting in and around Tripoli, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.
It confirmed that it continues to ship medicine to make sure doctors have what they need to treat the injured.
