By Libya Herald staff.
26 November 2014:
Italy has called for an immediate end to the Libya Air Force bombing of Mitiga airbase.
Calling . . .[restrict]on all parties to resume dialogue, an Italian Foreign Ministry statement, issued yesterday, said the raids and violence by all sides “could undermine the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Libya, Bernardino Leon, to which Italy reiterates its full support”.
At the same time, Italian foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni has said there has to be a political solution to Libya’s divisions. Talk about Italy or any other country intervening to fix Libya’s problems would only make matters worse he said in an interview published by La Repubblica today.
“We must not repeat the mistake of putting boots on the ground before we have a political solution that we can support.” It could come to Italy sending peacekeepers to Libya to help the country , Gentiloni agreed, but only as part of an approved UN plan.
Additionally there would have to be an accepted government of national unity already in place which agreed to any such move and plans in hands for fresh elections. The latter comment is said by Italian officials not to be an endorsement of Omar Al-Hassi’s call for fresh elections but refers rather to elections after the new constitution had been promulgated.
Gentiloni also insisted that, despite the divisions, Italy would not accept the idea of Libya splitting in two. His country would be “an active party” in supporting Libya’s unity. [/restrict]
