Addis Ababa, Feb 8, 2020 – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday said he supported the African Union (AU) taking a greater role in mediating the Libya crisis, acknowledging the bloc’s frustration at being sidelined so far. “I fully understand that frustration,” Guterres said at a news conference in Addis Ababa ahead of the annual AU summit on Sunday and Monday. We believe it is absolutely essential to associate the AU in searching (for) a solution to the libyan conflict”. Guterres welcomed a reconciliation forum organised by the AU last month in relation to Libya, adding their delegates were welcome at the UN mission in Tripoli. The North African state remains in chaos, mostly split between strongman Khalifa Haftar, who controls eastern Libya, and the UN-recognised government in Tripoli.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 08, 2020 15:56 UTC