Antonio Guterres’s warning comes after skirmish reported near Tripoli as Haftar’s LNA heads west to battle ‘terrorists’.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed worry about a potential armed showdown in Libya, where eastern military forces have moved west and skirmished with rival forces south of the capital, Tripoli.
“I am deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation,” Guterres said in a Twitter post on Thursday.
“There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems. I call for calm and restraint as I prepare to meet the Libyan leaders in the country.”
I am deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation. There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems. I call for calm and restraint as I prepare to meet the Libyan leaders in the country.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 4, 2019
Guterres’ remarks come a day after he arrived in the war-torn country, where he said he was “totally committed” to support a Libyan-led political process.