Lavrov Says There Is No Military Solution to Libya Conflict

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the crisis in Libya could not be solved militarily.

Over the past few years, the supremacy of any of Libya’s sides could only be temporary, the situation on the ground was changing all the time, and the attacking side was never ready for negotiations, Lavrov recalled.

The Russian foreign minister called on foreign players in Libya to promote an inclusive intra-Libyan dialogue.

Conflict in Libya in Tense Stage, Country Flooded With Arms

The conflict in Libya is in a very tense stage, the country is being flooded with weapons, the head of the Department of International Organizations at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Pyotr Ilyichev, said.

The monitoring of the United Nations Security Council’s arms embargo on Libya cannot focus on one warring party exclusively, Mr Ilyichev added, noting that the European Union’s sea monitoring has not been highly effective so far.

Back in 2016, the UN Security Council introduced, under its Resolution 2292, a special inspection regime off Libya’s coast, which was expected to make control over illegal arms flow more efficient, Ilyichev recalled.

Reports About Russian Drone in Libya Not True

The information about an alleged Russian drone in Libya, mentioned in a report by UN experts, is not true, the characteristics of the drone are typical of such vehicles produced in a country next to Russia, Pyotr Ilyichev said.

Libyans wave the national flag during commemorations to mark the second anniversary of the revolution that ousted Moammar Gadhafi in Benghazi, Libya, Friday, Feb, 15, 2013

Libya has been in a state of a civil war since the overthrow of its leader Muammar Gaddafi with the support of NATO airstrikes in 2011. Since then, numerous competing militia and terrorist groups have been fighting for power. The major warring parties to the conflict are the UN-recognised Tripoli government led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, known as the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by General Khalifa Haftar. The LNA is backed by the parliament and is based in the eastern city of Tobruk.  

The LNA is also supported by Russia, with Moscow welcoming Haftar’s efforts to oust terrorist militias operating in Libya. However, Russia does not provide the LNA with weapons, citing the UN arms embargo on Libya. Moscow has repeatedly stressed the need to begin a dialogue between the LNA and the GNA to resolve the long-time conflict. 

Sourse: sputniknews.com