The head of the United Nations' UNSMIL mission to Libya, Ghassan Salame, said on Monday he hoped that Libyans will unite in the coming year and rid their country of conflict, terrorism and foreign meddling.
“The year of 2019 will bring together all the Libyans, without exception, on a historic settlement that will end their dispersion, unite their institutions, renew their leaderships, replace their differences with the logic of state, turn the page of weapons that has divided them, end the threat of terrorism that deterred them, and end foreign interference in their country’s affairs” Salame tweeted.
“This is our goal and we will work insistently on it with them,” the tweet added.
Western powers and the UN hope Libya will hold polls by June after a referendum on new constitution to stabilise the oil-rich country. It has been in turmoil since the Nato-backed ouster of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi during an uprising in 2011 and has rival administrations in Tripoli and in the east of the country, backed by a myriad of armed groups.
