Credit: consilium.europa.eu / Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission

By Gary Raynaldo       DIPLOMATIC TIMES

The European Union’s  top diplomat and foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Italy called for a humanitarian truce Saturday  in Libya as fighting there escalates.   EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Foreign Ministers Jean-Yves Le Drian of France, Heiko Maas of Germany and Luigi Di Maio of Italy issued a joint statement. 

“We want to unite our voices to those of the UN Secretary-General (Antonio) Guterres and his Acting Special Representative for Libya, Stephanie Turco Williams, in their call for a humanitarian truce in Libya,”

-EU Joint Statement  said.

Libya Fighting Surges despite UN Call for Global Ceasefire  Amid  COVID-19 Pandemic

Credit: Wikipedia Commons  /  First demonstrations calling for the downfall of the regime in Badya Libya. During the demonstration, burning a police car, at the crossroads of At-Talhi, now known as the crossroads of the spark, on 2011-02-16

UN Secretary-General António Guterres last month urged warring parties across the world to cease fighting and join in the global battle against the true enemy of our time: COVID-19.  Guterres said the virus is the common enemy that is now threatening all of humankind.

“The conflict continues unabated and developments during the latest weeks have increased concerns, in particular over the situation among the long suffering Libyan population. We call on all the Libyan actors to get inspired by the spirit of the Holy Ramadan, engage in resuming talks for a genuine ceasefire on the basis of the draft agreement of the Military Committee of 23 February, and in view of a political solution to the conflict, and unite their efforts to face the common enemy which the current pandemic risks represent in the interest of the whole country.”

-EU Joint Statement  Apr. 25, 2020