No: 407, 28 December 2014

We strongly condemn the air strikes which have become more frequent in Libya recently and have been perpetrated today in Misrata, targeting the iron and steel plant, the free zone and the district where the airport is located.

The spiral of violence caused by the increasing number of air strikes despite all the warnings, escalates the ground clashes and results in further expansion of the fighting. In this context, the latest clashes which have occurred in the oil crescent region and Sirte have increased the death toll and deepened the destruction faced by Libya's economic infrastructure.

The said air strikes threaten the sparse air and sea traffic which is of vital importance for the transportation of humanitarian aid and basic supplies to the country, for the maintenance of economic activities, which also constitutes the most important connection of Libya with the outside world. Disconnection of Libya from the world will interrupt also the efforts towards establishing security and stability in Libya. Those carrying out these air strikes are doing the greatest harm to the people of Libya.

The only way out to restore stability in Libya is to bring an immediate end to the air strikes and foreign intervention threatening the future of the country, to secure cease-fire, to initiate a comprehensive political dialogue, consequently to establish swiftly a national unity government.

We wish that the escalating tensions caused by the air strikes should not obstruct the comprehensive dialogue meeting to be held on 5 January 2015, as announced by Mr. Bernardino Leon, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Libya. We once again reiterate our support to the efforts of Mr. Leon to solve the crisis in Libya.