Security Council likely to agree on appeal for Libya truce on Islamic holiday

Source: Xinhua| 2019-07-30 06:50:16|Editor: yan
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UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council is likely to agree on an appeal for a truce in the Libya conflict for the upcoming Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, permanent representative of Peru to the United Nations and current president of the council, told reporters that there is "broad support" for the plan proposed by the UN envoy for Libya, which included the truce.

Meza-Cuadra said some council members still need to consult with their capitals but hopefully there will be good news.

In a few days, the council will be able to issue a formal statement, he added.

Meza-Cuadra's press encounter followed a closed-door consultation by the council members, who had been briefed by Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Ghassan Salame.

In his briefing, Salame put forward a three-part plan of action to end the Libya conflict -- a truce to be declared for Eid al-Adha, which falls around Aug. 10, a high-level meeting of concerned countries to end the hostilities and implement the UN arms embargo, and a meeting of leading and influential personalities from Libya to agree on a way forward.

Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.

The instability resulted in a divided country, with the UN-recognized administration overseeing the west and a rival government in the east. Each is backed by an array of militias and armed groups fighting over resources and territory.

In early April, the Libyan National Army, a force allied with the east-based government, started an offensive on the capital Tripoli.

Salame on Monday reported that the conflict has killed almost 1,100 people, including 106 civilians, since its outbreak.

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