Pope Francis appealed on Sunday for both sides in the Libyan civil war to seek peace, urging the international community to facilitate talks and protect refugees and migrants he said were victims of cruelty.
In an impassioned plea during his noon address in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said he was pained by the situation in Libya, which has had no stable central authority since dictator Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown by NATO-backed rebels in 2011.
For more than five years Libya has had rival parliaments and governments in the east and the west, with streets controlled by armed groups and sporadic fighting.
“Please! I urge international bodies and those who have political and military responsibilities to restart, with conviction and resolve, the search for a path towards an end to violence, leading to peace, stability and unity in the country,” he said.
Egypt announced a new initiative for Libya on Saturday. Meanwhile, Russia and Turkey, who support opposing sides in Libya, have postponed ministerial-level talks on the conflict.
Libya is divided between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the rival Government of National Accord (GNA) with nations split over their support of the LNA or the GNA.
