Libya became place for testing new military technologies - UNSMIL Chief

UN Special Representative for Libya Ghassan Salamé put forward a three-part plan of action to end the conflict in the country and called on Libyans to “listen to their better angels” adding that they were now “fighting the wars of others and in so doing destroying their country.”
Addressing the Security Council via teleconference from the Libyan capital Tirpoli, Salamé said that the armed conflict in the country shows no signs of abating, with the war around Tripoli having left nearly 1,100 people dead, including more than 100 civilians. He noted that forces on both sides have failed to observe their obligations under international humanitarian law, pointing to the deadly airstrike that hit the migrant detention centre in Tajoura earlier this month.
Salamé stressed that the deaths of up to 150 migrants at sea last week again underlines the urgent need to address the root causes of the migrant issue. He said, following UN-backed efforts to move the migrants to more secure locations, in recent days, authorities have moved more than 200 migrants back into the bombed facility in Tajoura.
The Special Representative said Libya has become a terrain of experimentation of new military technologies and recycling of old weapons. He added that there was no doubt that external support has been instrumental in the intensification of airstrikes. He underscored that more than ever, Libyans were now fighting the wars of other countries who appear content to fight to the last Libyan and to see the country entirely destroyed in order to settle their own scores.
Salamé proposed a three-part plan of action to end the conflict. First, he called for a truce to be declared for Eid al-Adha; second, he called for a high-level meeting of concerned countries to end the hostilities and implement the arms embargo; and last, a meeting of leading and influential personalities from Libya to agree on a way forward.
Salamé told the Council that while the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) had to reduce its footprint in the country due to the security situation, He decided that the Mission should not leave Libya. He said this would allow the UN to respond to growing humanitarian needs and human rights concerns, and to remain fully engaged with all interlocutors regarding the de-escalation of the fighting and the resumption of the political process. He reported that only 30 per cent of the USD 202 million requested under the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for Libya had been received to date, adding that the conflict had limited the ability of Libyan authorities to meet the basic needs of the population.
The Special Representative said people in Libyan cities stop him to convey a clear message: “The majority of Libyans believe that it is now time for the Security Council to join this chorus and decisively call for an end to this needless war before it grows into a full-blown civil war with serious, potentially existential consequences for Libya and its neighbours.”
Libyan ambassador Elmahdi Elmajerbi said prior to the 4th of April, Libya was on its way to a unifying national conference through which the Libyan people hoped to exit the transition phase and move towards free and fair elections which would have produced a national government that respects the prinicpals of democracy, peaceful transition of power and respects human rights. However, with the assault on Tripoli, he said his Government had no choice but to protect its people, the capital, and its surrounding suburbs.
Elmajerbi stressed that his Government still believes in a peaceful solution, and not a military solution, despite the difficulties it faces, as the only way to guarantee the security and stability of the Libyan people. He said the Government of National Accord was fully prepared to cooperate with Special Representative Salamé and is consistently prepared to provide all facilitations which could contribute to reaching peaceful resolutions to the crisis Libya faces.