UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told the Security Council he is deeply concerned by the battle for Tripoli and reports of fresh weapons supplies flowing into Libya, according to a report seen by AFP on Monday.

Libyan military strongman Khalifa Hifter’s westward offensive, which began last month, has dramatically heated up the Libyan civil war. In a statement issued today, European Union foreign ministers warned that the attack could further destabilize the country and said it threatens international peace.

Head of Libya’s internationally recognised government Fayez Al-Sarraj yesterday asked Italy to help change the positions of EU countries regarding attacks being carried out against Tripoli by renegade General Khalifa Haftar, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the commander of Libyan National Army (LNA), may yet play a role in the future Libyan government, despite his recent offensive on Tripoli, which is controlled by the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Tuesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to meet Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj on Wednesday, who has accused Paris of supporting his rival and tacitly backing his assault on Tripoli, a presidential source said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on all parties to the Libyan conflict to commit to a ceasefire and halt the ongoing offensive on Tripoli.

Libya’s prime minister will tour Europe to seek support against rogue general Khalifa Haftar, the country’s internationally-recognised government said on Monday. Haftar, who is currently leading an assault on Tripoli, has urged his troops to “wipe out” government forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently put Russia in the spotlight in Libya by first holding a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Summit in Beijing and later discussing Libya with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the phone. Conte reportedly proposed his Russian counterpart …

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian dismissed Thursday accusations by the Tripoli-based government that Paris was supporting Khalifa Haftar in his current offensive.

Khalifa Haftar’s march on Tripoli on April 4 was a paradigm-shifting event whose importance remains lost on the global diplomatic community. Haftar’s actions closed the door on the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) and on attempts to amend it, including a series of negotiations between Haftar and Government of National Accord …