UN withdraws from Libya
July 15, 2014, 2:05 am

A charred oil tanker that was destroyed when the outskirts of Tripoli Airport were shelled by rival Libyan militias [Xinhua]

With all international flights in and out of the country halted, the UN said it could no longer operate effectively.

“This is a temporary measure. Staff will return as soon as security conditions permit. The United Nations, which stood by the Libyan people in their revolution in 2011, will not abandon them as they seek to build a democratic state. The United Nations looks forward to continuing to work with its Libyan partners and hopes to return to Tripoli as soon as possible,” said a statement from the UN mission in Libya.

Since Sunday, shelling in the neighborhoods surrounding the airport killed at least seven people.

Early on Monday, medical sources said that clashes in the city of Benghazi, east of Tripoli, killed seven people and injured 25.

Libya has seen a resurgence of violence in recent months, partially due to lack of security along volatile borders and a failure of the government to rein in militia who fought against the former Qaddafi government.

Distrust between some of the southern and eastern tribes in addition to decades-long rivalries have also exacerbated the situation.

In mid-November, 45 people were killed in Tripoli, when a militia group opened fire on protesters who approached their headquarters demanding they leave the capital.

A militia spokesperson said at the time that protesters were armed and fired first.

Libya’s government has urged militias pull back from the lines of confrontation, but without a national army or effective security force, its warnings have fallen on deaf ears.

The government has often had to rely on militias to police the country’s borders, but with loyalties changing repeatedly this has proven a security failure.

In January, the government used fighter jets to combat rogue militia groups, marking the first time the air force has been used since the ousted late leader Muammar Qaddafi was ousted from power.

Source: Agencies