By Marina Makary
The US Department of State released a joint statement Tuesday by the governments of France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the US on the current situation in Libya.
The statement condemned the ongoing acts of terrorism and called for the “urgent need for a political resolution to the conflict in Libya”. It said that “establishing a national unity government” by a United Nations-led process provides the best solution for the violence and instability in the country. The statement confirmed that the international community is “prepared to fully support a unity government in addressing Libya’s current challenges”.
In a Tuesday press briefing, US Department of State Spokesperson Jen Psaki said: “We certainly respect the right of countries to make their own decisions about their own self-defence and defence of their own country.”
However, she added that the best path forward in Libya is a political process led by the UN.
In terms of military action, Psaki confirmed that the US has not made a decision to expand beyond Iraq and Syria.
Also during a Tuesday press briefing, Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Badr Abdelatty confirmed that the situation in Libya is a “direct threat” to neighbouring countries and international security.
“We want to apply what is stipulated in the United Nations Security Council’s Charter,” he said, explaining that the charter states that measures should be taken to maintain “international peace and security”.
Abdelatty supported Bernandino Leon’s efforts for a Libyan dialogue. “We support efforts for peaceful talks”, but he also stressed the difficulty of a national dialogue under such circumstances.
In an interview with French radio station Europe 1 on Tuesday, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi called for a UN resolution mandating action to deal with the crisis, saying that there is “no other choice”. Al-Sisi has repeatedly called for global intervention in Libya, and urged the UNSC to adopt a resolution authorising an international military intervention in Libya.
