UNITED NATIONS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday strongly condemned the military escalation and ongoing fighting in and around Libya's capital Tripoli, and asked for an immediate end to violence, said his spokesman.
The secretary-general called for an immediate halt of all military operations in order to de-escalate the situation and prevent an all-out conflict, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, said in a statement.
Guterres emphasized that there is no military solution to the Libyan conflict and called on all parties to engage in immediate dialogue to reach a political solution, said the statement.
The UN chief reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to ensure the safety of all civilians. "All Libyans deserve peace, security, prosperity and respect for human rights," said the statement.
Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The clashes in Tripoli between forces of the UN-backed government and the eastern-based army have forced 2,800 to flee their homes, a UN official said Monday.
