Amid a military escalation between rival forces in lawless Libya this week, the governments of Italy, France, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States have called for calm and for "all parties" to seek a political solution to the crisis.
In a joint statement, the five nations said they were "deeply concerned by fighting near Gharyan, Libya and urge all parties to immediately de-escalate tensions."
The statement came after rogue eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar announced on Thursday that his forces were advancing on the Libyan capital Tripoli - seat of the United Nations backed government - after capturing the town of Gharayan, 100 kilometres to the south.
The escalating tensions between Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army and militias loyal to the UN-backed government were "hindering prospects for UN political mediation," the statement went on.
Libya's UN-backed premier Fayez al-Sarraj has okayed air aids against Haftar's advancing forces in one of three security decrees issued by Libya's presidential council in response to Haftar's move, sources told Adnkronos on Thursday.
The Libyan capital in on "high military alert" according to the Sarraj government.
"At this sensitive moment in Libya's transition, military posturing and threats of unilateral action only risk propelling Libya back toward chaos," the joint statement went on.
"We strongly believe that there is no military solution to the Libya conflict," the five governments added.
This week's military escalation throws into doubt a UN-backed national conference due to take place in southwest Libya from 14-16 April aimed at forging a roadmap for national elections to stabilise and unify the country, which is mired in an eight-year-long conflict.
The former Italian colony has been in turmoil since the 2011 Nato-backed ouster of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, with rival administrations in Tripoli and in the east backed by a myriad of armed groups who are vying for control of its oil resources.
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