The UN envoy for Libya warned Tuesday the battle for Tripoli was "just the start of a long and bloody war" and called for immediate steps to cut off arms flows fueling the fighting. Addressing the Security Council, Ghassan Salame said many countries were supplying weapons to the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and forces led by Khalifa Haftar. Without immediate action to stop the flow of arms, "Libya will descend into civil war which could potentially lead to a Hobbesian all-against-all state of chaos or partition of the country," he said. The Security Council failed last month to agree on a draft resolution demanding a ceasefire in Libya and a return to political talks to end the conflict. The envoy urged the council to set up a commission of inquiry to "determine who has taken up arms" and prevent indicted war crimes suspects from taking part in military operations.

Source: Libya Today May 21, 2019 14:48 UTC