Qatar expressed concern Saturday about recent developments in the Libyan capital of Tripoli and urged all parties to avoid escalating tensions and resolve disputes through dialogue.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi held a call with UN Special Representative for Libya and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Hanna Tetteh, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Al-Khulaifi reiterated that Qatar is closely following the situation in Tripoli and emphasized the importance of calm and dialogue to prevent further instability.
INCIDENTS IN TRIPOLI
Clashes erupted Monday in Tripoli following the death of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, who headed the Stability Support Apparatus.
Shortly after al-Kikli’s death, the government announced that the 444th Brigade, affiliated with the Defense Ministry, had seized the Stability Support Apparatus’ headquarters in the Abu Salim neighborhood of Tripoli and taken control of the area.
In a May 13 statement, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh congratulated members of the army and police for their success in establishing state authority in events that took place in the capital.
Clashes began in the early hours of May 14 between the Rada, which is considered one of the powerful militia groups in the capital, and government forces, and smoke was seen rising from buildings in parts of Tripoli.
The Defense Ministry later that day announced a ceasefire had been declared in all conflict zones in Tripoli as part of efforts to protect civilians.
An official from Health Affairs at the Tripoli municipality, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, announced that six people died and 70 were injured in the clashes.