Secretary-General of the Arab League (AL) Ahmed Aboul Gheit renewed on Saturday his call to stop the fighting in Libya and other Arab conflict zones to dedicate national efforts to addressing the coronavirus threat. Aboul Gheit stressed putting an end to the military operations ongoing around the Libyan capital Tripoli between the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army, the AL said in a statement. The secretary-general renewed his call to “silence the rifles in the Arab conflict areas” to dedicate national efforts to facing the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic and curb the damages that will hit communities and health sectors, an official source in the AL said. Aboul Gheit called for a humanitarian armistice in Libya and urged the Libyan leadership to uphold the national interest and immediately begin de-escalation on the ground. The armistice, Aboul Gheit said, should lead eventually to a formal, lasting and comprehensive ceasefire in the country. Aboul Gheit again stressed the league's rejection and condemnation of all forms of foreign military interference in Libya, as well as the multiple violations of the arms embargo imposed on the country, and the deployment of terrorist fighters in the battlefield. “The Arab League will remain committed to standing by the Libyan people in overcoming the challenges of the current stage, and getting the country through the current crisis,” Aboul Gheit said. The statements by the Arab League secretary-general come one day after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday that “The worst is yet to come” for countries in conflict, such as Syria, Libya and Yemen. Guterres renewed his call for a global ceasefire to enable war-torn nations to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
