Cairo, The Arab League has a vital role to play in a “lasting political solution” in Libya, United Nations Special Envoy Ghassan Salame said on Monday after meeting its Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Salame and Aboul Gheit’s talks centred on “political and security developments in Libya,” the envoy said in a series of tweets.
“Salame stressed the importance of the Arab role in finding a lasting political solution in Libya.”
Aboul Gheit “welcomed” Salame’s efforts towards “reviving the political process in Libya”, the tweets said.
International diplomatic efforts continue towards a ceasefire in the five-month-old battle for Tripoli between eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces and armed groups loyal to the UN-backed government.
It is hoped a truce will lead to the resumption of inclusive UN-mediated talks between Libya’s rival factions after the conflict forced Salame to postpone a National Conference due to be held there in mid-April.
At least 1,048 people have been killed and 5,558 have been injured in the fighting, which has driven nearly 200,000 people from their homes, according to the latest figures from the UN World Health Organization.
Since the outbreak of fighting in and around Tripoli in early April, Salame “has been engaging with a wide range of national, regional and international actors” to reach a ceasefire agreement, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a August 26 report to the Security Council.
