U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for the end of bloodshed in Libya. He declared that sides of the conflicts still have a chance for peace negotiations. However, the meeting between the representatives the Libyan National Army and the Government of National Accord which was to take place under the auspices of the U.N. fell apart a few hours ago. Meanwhile, it's been a week since the armed confrontation started. Is there a way back from this military dead-end?
My colleague Arkadiy Glushenkov tried to answer.
In the week of the combat operation in Libya, the National Army found itself in less than six miles from the center of the capital of the country, Tripoli. Field-Marshal Khalifa Haftar's fighters now have control over Mitiga International Airport and the Yarmouk Military Base Those are strategically important facilities which used to be under the control of the military force of the Government of National Accord. Now, all of them have retreated to the capital. The National Army plans to seize it in the days to come.
Akhmed Al-Mismari, Libyan National Army: "From the start of the military operation in Tripoli, we've lost 29 soldiers and 92 more people have been wounded. On the 10th of April, we suffered three airstrikes. They were executed on by fighters that took off from Misurata Airport. We were able to arrest several militants. The offensive is proceeding according to plan".
DUALITY OF POWER IN LIBYA
After the overthrow of Muammar Al Gaddafi, which was carried out with active intervention by the U.S., the country has been torn by a duality of power. In the East, it's a democratic parliament relying on the soldiers of the Libyan National Army. In the West, it's the Government of National Accord, recognized by the USA and its allies. Neither side is open to the negotiations now, even under the auspices of the U.N. The United Nations organization doesn't have the answer to the question, "What is to be done?" either. They only propose to stop the violence.
Ravina Shamdasani, U.N. Human Rights Office: "Even if they assault a military target, it's necessary to put all possible measures in place to minimize casualties among the civilian population. We received information that the weaponry used for assaults is not, so to say, cutting edge; they're so-called non-selective strikes".
Nor does the EU has the answer to the question, "What is to be done?". The President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, after the session on Wednesday, told journalists that the European countries should come up with a unified position concerning the event in Libya. And the core of the problem is that some EU countries have oil interests in Libya.
The USA has such interests as well. Over the week of the combat operation in the country, the oil price at exchange markets rapidly grew, making the American oil extracting industry richer.
Arkadiy Glushenkov, Evgeniya Zemtsova, Vesti.
