Ban urges parties to reject violence, act quickly on draft peace plan
Stressing that 18 months of violence has only led Libya down a path of death, displacement and destruction, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged all parties to put aside their differences and act on the draft peace plan they have before them.
“No agreement is perfect, but this document will help Libya move beyond the chaos and toward the creation of a stable and democratic state with a clear legal framework,” Mr. Ban said at the high-level meeting on Libya, held on the margins of the General Assembly’s general debate.
“As we work to ensure that this text is accepted by the Libyans, let us be clear: All those who choose to remain outside this framework will be responsible for the consequences and suffering that will ensue.”
Libya has been plagued by factional fighting since the 2011 revolution, with the situation continuing to deteriorate in recent months amid significant political fragmentation and violence.
“The violence of the past year and a half is leading Libya down a path of death, displacement and destruction,” said Mr. Ban. “Terrorist movements are gaining a strategic foothold. The country has become a haven for criminals and human smugglers. Millions are in need of humanitarian assistance.
“Sadly, this is largely the result of rival groups who insist on putting petty concerns above those of the Libyan people. They are denying their country a future and have made Libya a base of instability, and a threat to regional and international security,” he stated.
