Longing for peace

Warring factions need to heed to the call given by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. His gesture to hold talks with eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar in a bid to avert renewed civil war is a sign that the UN and the world community is keen on finding a peaceful and amicable solution to the vexing issue (“Everything must be done to avoid bloodshed in Libya: UN,” April 6, Gulf Today).

Escalation of the crisis in Libya will only lead to more distress and add more suffering to the people of Libya. Some of my Libyan colleagues were optimistic of a breakthrough after the historic meeting between Prime Minister Faiez Serraj and Haftar some months back. The UN and the world body were also hopeful that the meet would help put an end to Libya’s instability and economic turmoil.

A prolonged conflict like this needs a political solution more than a military response. Though the UN is working towards striking a truce Guterres’ statement on the situation sounds dire. “I leave Libya with a heavy heart and deeply concerned. I still hope it is possible to avoid a bloody confrontation in and around Tripoli,” he said on Twitter.

Like always we are hopeful of a peaceful end to conflicts. In fact it was Guterres who in a press briefing sometime earlier, citing the recent peace deals between Ethiopia and Eritrea, said there is a “wind of hope,” in Libya. I hope the suffering of the Libyan people comes to an end soon.

Tanvir Hashmi
By email