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Western powers urge Libya to resolve differences by political means

24 May 2014 02:22 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States on Friday urged all sides in Libya to address their differences by political means, warning the North African nation was at "a crossroads,"APA reports quoting Xinhua

In a joint statement released by the U.S. State Department, the Western powers voiced "deep" concern about what they called " repeated acts of violence" in the country, as long-simmering tensions between non-Islamist and Islamist forces boiled over into military actions around the cities of Benghazi and Tripoli in recent days.

They called on "all sides to refrain from the use of force and to address differences by political means," pledging support for " an inclusive reconciliation process" in the country to facilitate the ongoing transition.

"Libya is at a crossroads," they warned, referring to the progress made in the transition as well as "chaos, fragmentation, violence and terrorism" still gripping the country.

Since the downfall of late former leader Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011, Libya has been mired in political chaos. Politicians and lawmakers in the 200-seat parliament were divided lately on the legitimacy of the one-chamber legislature and whether it should be dissolved.

President of Libya's interim parliament Nouri Abu Sahmain on Monday called in militias to fend off attacks on the legislature by gunmen loyal to retired general Khalifa Haftar.

"We emphasize the importance of carrying on the transition in a peaceful and democratic way," the Western powers said in their statement. "We insist, in this framework, on the opportunity of holding parliamentary elections as soon as possible."

"Persistent divisions amongst Libyans will gravely challenge the ability of the international community to assist Libya," they added.