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Russia’s Foreign Ministry urges Libya’s warring sides to stop fighting for power

The Russian diplomat recalled that since the recent flare-up in Libya, the international community had been urging the warring sides to halt fighting

MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. Moscow calls on the conflicting sides in Libya not to use military methods in the struggle for power, but to return to the UN-brokered peace plan, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

"With any determination and persistence possible, Russia points out that there are no other options but a political settlement on the basis of the action plan drafted by UN Special Envoy for Libya [Ghassan Salom·]. It is necessary to refuse from military methods while struggling for power and that it is crucial for all responsible Libyan military and political forces to team up in order to revive national unity and to form viable governmental institutions, which will be capable of grappling with priorities, of course, including the war on terror," she stressed.

The Russian diplomat recalled that since the recent flare-up in Libya, the international community had been urging the warring sides to halt fighting and to sit at the negotiating table. She added that the recent escalation was on the table of the United Nations Security Council’s session.

In 2011, rebels killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during the civil war. Currently, Libya has two cabinets, which are Tripoli’s world-recognized government of National Accord headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and the interim government headed by Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani, which operates alongside the elected parliament in the country’s east and is supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA).

On April 4, LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar announced the launch of an offensive on Tripoli. Meanwhile, Fayez al-Sarraj ordered all military units subordinate to him to be put on alert. Now, the fighting is raging on the capital’s outskirts.