By Libya Herald reporters.
Tripoli and Tunis, 20 May 2017:
The Arab League today described the Brak Al-Shatti massacre as “barbaric” and said that it was a dangerous escalation that threatened to ignite greater battles.
The attack on the airbase camp “once again demonstrated the grave threat posed by armed groups and outlawed militias to the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Libyan state.”
In its statement issued in Cairo, the League once again insisted that there could be no military solution and the current crisis could only be settled by all parties working with the Libyan Political Agreement.
Egypt also condemned what it called a “brutal terrorist attack”. In a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Cairo it expressed its “solidarity with the Libyan people and their national army, demanding that they seriously deal with those involved in that terrorist operation.”
It added that Libyan politics should not be subject to illegal groups which were trying to carve themselves a role by committing terrorist acts, which it said were being undertaken in cooperation with terrorist organisations receiving external support and funding.
Meanwhile, five ambassadors to Libya insisted that those responsible for the Brak Al-Shatti murders should be brought to justice. The envoys from China, France, Russia, the UK and the US put out a joint statement today saying they were disturbed by reports of the summary executions of both combatants and civilians.
They said:“We condemn any efforts to change the situation on the ground in Libya by force, which only undermines recent political dialogue and prolongs the suffering of the Libyan people.”
The EU described the mass murder as a worrying development. “Violence is not a solution to Libya’s challenges” it said, “It can only put at risk the ongoing work to find a peaceful and negotiated solution to the political and security crisis.
“All parties need to exercise restraint, cease all hostilities and avoid further escalation of violence for sake of all Libyans. Further dialogue is essential between all parties in a spirit of reconciliation.”
