With the fighting in Tripoli breaking the ceasefire that has been in place since March, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) said on Saturday 27 May that the EU expects "the warring factions to restore the ceasefire". Clashes between rival militias in Tripoli on 26 and 27 May left over 50 people dead and around a hundred wounded.
In a press release, the EEAS spokesperson said that the return of violence jeopardises the promising start to a dialogue aimed at fostering reconciliation in Libya. The spokesperson added that there is no military solution to the political crisis.
"The EU calls on Libya's political leaders from all sides to come together to resolve the conflict through negotiation and compromise, in a Libya-led process under the aegis of the UN", the EEAS spokesperson stated once more, saying that the EU, which is working together in the Libya Quartet with the African Union, the League of Arab States and the UN, continues to support the Libyans' desire to live in peace in a stable, safe and prosperous country.
Elsewhere, in their final statement of 27 May, the heads of state and government of the G7 countries (France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and the United States) also underlined the urgency of moving ahead on the path of inclusive political dialogue, and the importance of national reconciliation. They called on Libyans to commit with a spirit of compromise and to refrain from action that could fuel further conflicts. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)