International concerns about all-out civil war in Libya

The war in Libya is taking place fiercely, when forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar - head of the opposition Libyan National Army (LNA) supporting the government in the East and the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in the West, supported by the United Nations, are fighting fiercely near the capital Tripoli. The risk of a full-scale civil war in Libya is causing international concern, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and dialogue to resolve the crisis.

After three days of launching the Tripoli campaign, the Libyan National Army (LNA) has taken full control of Tripoli airport and the surrounding area. In an online post, the force also released many images of soldiers entering the airport and said "we are standing in the center of Tripoli International Airport". Some sources also said that this force has captured a number of residential areas and important positions in the west, south and southwest of the capital Tripoli.

Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj has criticized the Libyan National Army's campaign as a coup aimed at destabilizing the country, and called on the international community to condemn the military developments in Libya. Mr. Fayez al-Serraj emphasized;

“We have extended our hand of peace but the attacks continue, carried out by General Haftar’s forces. General Haftar has declared war on our cities and capitals. This coup will face a strong response. I have ordered the Libyan armed forces and security units to deal with this threat, which destabilizes the country and affects civilians.”

To stop the offensive of the Libyan National Army (LNA), the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) air force began conducting airstrikes on LNA gathering points. Armed groups loyal to the government in Tripoli have also transferred more weapons from Misrata to Tripoli to fight against General Haftar's forces. Meanwhile, the Libyan National Army also announced yesterday that it would establish a no-fly zone over the western part of the country, while emphasizing that the Libyan Air Force (LAF) would attack any airbase supporting the Libyan Government of National Accord (LNA).

With the current tense developments, Libya is facing the risk of a full-blown civil war, with a series of air battles in western Libya in the coming days. The Libyan Ministry of Health has declared a state of emergency in all Tripoli hospitals.

In the face of the fierce fighting in Libya, the international community has expressed particular concern, calling on all parties to reduce tensions and engage in dialogue. French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday (April 6) had a phone call with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The two leaders stressed the importance of a political solution to the current crisis, respecting international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolutions. The French President also affirmed that he will continue to support the United Nations' mediation efforts in Libya.

During a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shourki in Cairo yesterday, both sides affirmed that the crisis in Libya cannot be resolved by military means. The Russian Foreign Minister also expressed his hope that all political forces in Libya will find an agreement to resolve the crisis and opposed any outside interference.

The G7 Foreign Ministers' Conference in France yesterday also issued a statement affirming that it does not accept further military escalation in Libya and that each country will use its own channels to put pressure on the parties in Libya.

Despite the ongoing fighting in Libya, UN Special Envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame affirmed that the Libyan National Conference will still take place as planned. Speaking to reporters in Tripoli, Special Envoy Salame said that the United Nations is trying to prevent the crisis in Libya from escalating. The United Nations still plans to hold a conference in the town of Ghadames, southwest Libya, from April 14-16, to discuss elections to find a way out of the eight-year conflict there./.