Welcoming the ceasefire agreement concluded on 4 September between the armed groups involved in fighting near Tripoli over recent days, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) called, on Wednesday 5 September, for all the parties involved "to fully respect the agreement and implement all its terms in a spirit of compromise and in the interest of the Libyan people".
While this agreement is "a welcome step that should lead to the much-needed de-escalation of the violence in and around Tripoli", the EEAS spokesperson said the "legitimate" stakeholders should go further. In the spokesperson's view, the EU expects all legitimate Libyan stakeholders to step up efforts to end the political transition and achieve permanent democratic institutions capable of delivering in the interest of all Libyans.
"We will continue to support the inclusive UN led mediation process to bring about a lasting solution to the political crisis in Libya", the EEAS spokesperson said.
The ceasefire agreement, signed under the aegis of UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salamé, aims to put an end to all the hostilities, to protect civilians and to safeguard public and private property, according to the UN support mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The agreement also provides for the re-opening of the only international airport in service near Tripoli, which has been closed since 31 August due to the fighting.
GUE calls for evacuation of migrants and refugees
Elsewhere, the European Parliament's GUE/NGL Group is concerned about the worsening situation of thousands of refugees and migrants detained and blocked in Tripoli and has called on the member states to take urgent measures to keep them safe within the EU.
The GUE/NGL Group says that due to the recent fighting, detention centre guards have fled, which makes the refugees still more vulnerable to armed groups and traffickers. Some 8,000 refugees and migrants are reported to have been abandoned to their fate in Tripoli, without food or water, according to the GUE/NGL Group. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)