EU calls for Libya ceasefire

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All warring groups in Libya must commit to a ceasefire and return to UN-led mediation, the European Union said, calling the situation a threat to international security.

“The EU calls on all parties to immediately implement a ceasefire and engage with the United Nations to ensure a full and comprehensive cessation of hostilities,” EU foreign ministers said in a statement after meeting UN-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in Brussels.

“It also calls on them to dissociate themselves both publicly and on the ground from terrorist and criminal elements involved in fighting and from those suspected of war crimes, including individuals listed by the UN Security Council,” the statement said.

The latest flare-up of violence in Libya began a month ago when eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces advanced to the outskirts of Tripoli. More than 440 people have died and thousands have been displaced, according to the UN.