UNITED NATIONS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Pressure is building up at the United Nations to reach a humanitarian ceasefire in Libya in the face of "indiscriminate shelling" causing "a significant number of casualties" on the outskirts of Tripoli, according to a UN spokesperson.
Britain introduced a draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding a ceasefire. The draft also called for countries that have influence over fighting factions to pressure them to honor a truce. Last week UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the fighting. He was in Libya when the conflict flared earlier this month. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, said Tuesday that the secretary-general's special representative in Libya, Ghassan Salame, reiterated his call for a humanitarian truce. Such a ceasefire would allow for emergency services to access civilians trapped in conflict-impacted areas. Dujarric said at a press briefing that Salame met on Monday with Libyan representatives who sent an appeal for an end to the hostilities and a return to dialogue signed by more than 100 Libyan academics, civil society activists, journalists, politicians and representatives of women's organizations. |