Italy on Monday called for "free, fair, inclusive and credible" elections to be held in Libya within a "clear time-frame" as presidential elections slated to take place this week were thrown into doubt.
"The prospects remain uncertain: the election date that the Tunisi roadmap...and UN Security Council 2570 had set for 24 December is already resulting in growing tensions on the ground," Di Maio told a conference of Italian ambassadors in Rome.
"This further reduces the prospects for removing mercenaries and foreign fighters from the country," Di Maio said.
Libya’s presidential polls were slated for 24 December and parliamentary polls 52 days later under a UN-sponsored agreement reached by Libyan political rivals during meetings in Tunisia on November 15, 2020.
"So it is ever-more urgent to keep urging Libyan actors to constructively commit as soon as possible to a clear time-frame for the electoral process, which must be free, fair, inclusive and credible," Di Maio said.
The run-up to Friday's vote has been beset by deep divisions over its legal basis, who may stand and court challenges against prominent candidates.
Multiple observers have predicted a delay amid a series of obstacles posed by presidential bids by several divisive figures, a controversial electoral law and lack of agreement on the powers of the next government.
There has been no official announcement but on Monday, 17 hopefuls issued a joint statement asking Libya's electoral commission to "reveal the reasons why there will be no election on the date set", and called on it to "publish a final list of candidates".
