The U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Tuesday voiced deep concern regarding the ongoing mobilization of forces in Tripoli and called for immediate moves to calm the situation, reported The Libya Observer.
In a statement, the UNSMIL affirmed that the current political stalemate and the crisis that is looming Libya cannot be resolved through armed confrontation.
“These issues can only be resolved by the Libyan people exercising their right to choose their leaders and the renewal of legitimacy of State institutions through democratic elections,” it said.
The UNSMIL called for immediate de-escalation and warned that the use of force by any of the rival factions will not be accepted and will not lead to an outcome that secures recognition by the international community.
A long-running political crisis deepened in February when an eastern-based parliament picked former interior minister Fathi Bashagha to replace Abdulhamid Dbeibah’s government.
Dbeibah was appointed as the interim premier last year as part of a United Nations-backed peace process to end more than a decade of violence in the North African country. The elections were scheduled to be held last Dec. 24, but the Dbeibah-led government failed to conduct the elections. He has since refused to hand over power before elections.
Bashagha, despite his appointment by the parliament elected in 2014, has been unable to impose his authority in Tripoli, initially ruling out the use of force. More recently he has hinted that he could resort to force.
Last month, he claimed that Dbeibah’s government is illegitimate, arguing that its mandate is over and it failed to conduct elections in the country.
On Tuesday, Bashagha’s office issued a statement urging “Libyan men of honour” to drop their support for Dbeibah’s “obsolete and illegitimate” administration. The statement has sparked fears of renewed conflict in the capital Tripoli between backers of the two sides.
In related news, the UN Security Council extended the mandate of the UNSMIL for a period of 3 months until 31 October 3.
