The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat has called on Libyan warring parties to silence their guns for the sake of peace.
The AU, in a statement issued late Saturday, said Mahamat is following with deep concern the recent developments of insecurity in Tripoli, the capital of Libya.
The statement came after clashes erupted between two rival armed groups in different parts of Tripoli late Thursday and lasted until early Friday.
On Saturday, the Libyan Ministry of Health said the death toll from clashes between two rival armed groups in the Libyan capital Tripoli has increased to 16, and the injuries to 52.
The AU Commission chairperson called on warring parties to silence their guns by refraining from all forms of violence in deference to the yearnings of the Libyan people for peace.
Mahamat deplored the loss of life resulting from the clashes between rival armed groups and emphasized that the security of civilians is an obligation under International Humanitarian Law.
He reiterated the continued commitment of the pan-African bloc to support the peace process in Libya through its roadmap for reconciliation, spearheaded by the AU Ad Hoc High-Level Committee on Libya, chaired by Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of the Congo.
He further urged all political actors to redouble their efforts towards finding amicable solutions to the current crisis in the interest of sustainable peace and security, and to place the interest of Libya and the Libyan people above other considerations.
Libya has been suffering violence and unrest ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. Enditem
