The British Embassy in Libya has expressed concern over violence in western Libya, where the UN-backed government and the east-based army are fighting.
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“Concerned by violence in western Libya and the cost in civilian casualties, we urge against all escalation,’’ the embassy said in a statement.
“Fighting must stop for no other reason than to save lives and respond to the shared threat of COVID-19.’’
On April 4, 2019, the east-based army launched a military campaign in and around Tripoli in an attempt to take over the capital and topple the rival UN-backed government.
The armed conflict killed and injured many civilians and displaced more than 150,000 others, according to the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
The UNSMIL said it was alarmed by the continuing escalation of violence in Libya, particularly by the recent intensification of fighting, which has caused civilian casualties and risks new waves of displacement.