United Nations special envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame hoped Saturday that a planned UN national conference on the North African country will be held as planned despite the offensive launched by the Libyan National Army towards Tripoli.
Ghassan Salame told reporters in Tripoli the United Nations has been working to prevent an escalation of the crisis in Libya.
The UN is planning to hold a conference in the southwestern town of Ghadames from April 14 to 16 to discuss elections as a way out of the country's eight-year-long conflict.
The LNA, commanded by Khalid Haftar, announced its offensive on western Libya on Wednesday. It is aimed at ridding the area of remaining terrorists.
It has rapidly advanced on the capital, Tripoli, capturing its international airport on Saturday. It has already captured several regions south of Tripoli.
The UN has voiced alarm over the operation.
UN chief Antonio Guterres was in Benghazi Friday to meet Haftar.
“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,” Antonio Guterres said on Twitter.
“The UN is committed to facilitating a political solution and, whatever happens, the UN is committed to supporting the Libyan people.”
Egypt also expressed its concern.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Saturday the crisis in Libya could not be resolved through military means, but added the security situation in the country had long been a source of worry.
"Egypt has supported from the beginning a political agreement as a tool to prevent any military solution" in Libya, Shoukry said during a joint news conference with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov broadcast on state television.
