UN mission speaks out against rising violence in Libya

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has strongly condemned the escalation of violence in the north African country, calling the attacks "wholly unjustified and reckless," deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters here Thursday.

The Mission expressed deep disappointment that attacks against civilians and key infrastructures continue despite repeated calls by the UN and the international community to avoid the risk of escalating tensions at a time when Libya's leaders are engaged in peace talks, Haq said here at a daily news briefing.

Bernardino Leon, the UN secretary-general's special representative, underscored the international community's firm stance against those seeking to escalate the fighting. The Mission continues to question the motives of the escalation, which can only undermine efforts to reach a peaceful resolution of the Libyan conflict, he said.

In just a week in February, a string of suicide car bombings targeted a local security building, a gas station, and residence of Akila Saleh Issa, a Libyan parliament leader, leaving at least 30 dead and 30 others injured and making the security situation in the country even worse.

UNSMIL called upon stakeholders in Libya to renew their commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Libyan crisis, saying it will "not allow this window of opportunity to slip away."

The UN Mission also said the UN-facilitated Libyan dialogues " were conducted in a responsible and serious environment, with a high sense of resolve and determination on the part of the participants to reach a comprehensive political agreement to end the Libyan crisis and restore security and stability."

The dialogues are intended to produce proposals and the participants as well as the UN were fully transparent during their work on the dialogue, said the Mission.

The UN has held several rounds of dialogues between the opposing parties since September, but clashes remained despite a truce agreed on by factions.

The protracted conflict in Libya has caused a humanitarian crisis with at least 120,000 people forced to flee their homes, resulting in shortages in both food and medical supplies along with mounting casualties.

After the ouster of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been in conflict since the beginning of its civil war in 2011, and the recent burst of violence has further rattled the war-weary country. Endite