Brussels, 18/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 18 February, Italy's foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni called on the international community to be more active in finding a solution to the crisis in Libya.
“Time is short for a solution in Libya in the face of the clear risks of Islamic State (IS) merging with other local militia”, Gentiloni told Italian deputies. “The worsening of the situation on the ground requires a change of pace from the international community before it is too late”, he warned. Underlining that time was not limitless and the time available for a political solution risked being overshot, he called on the international community to redouble its efforts.
Elsewhere, the governments of France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States underscored the “urgent need” - in a joint statement on Tuesday 17 February - “for a political resolution to the conflict in Libya”. “The international community is prepared to fully support a unity government in addressing Libya's current challenges”, they added. In their opinion, the urgency of the terrorist threat demands rapid progress in the political process, with clear timeframes.
The same six governments announced that the special representative and head of the United Nations support mission in Libya, Bernardino Leon, would convene meetings in the coming days to build further Libyan support for a national unity government. The six governments warned that those who seek to impede this process and Libya's democratic transition would be held accountable by the Libyan people and the international community for their actions. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)