UN, EU, Arab League and the AU meet to discuss Libya

Arab league Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, United Nations Special Envoy Martin Kobler, chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki, and the European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini met in Cairo, Egypt on Saturday to discuss solutions to the Libyan political situation.

The North African country is still far from stable. Two governments are vying for power in Tobruk to the east and Tripoli to the west as the country remains mired in factional fighting and lawlessness.

The capital, Tripoli is controlled by a patchwork of armed groups that have built local fiefdoms and vied for power since Libya’s 2011 uprisings.

Hundreds of Libyans took to the streets of Tripoli, on Friday, demanding armed militias to leave, just days after the city was rocked by clashes among rival gunmen.

The protesters gathered in the Square of Martyrs in Tripoli, chanting slogans against the militias and in support of the army and police.

In addition, factional fighting and lawlessness have led to a surge in the arrival numbers of African migrants via the Mediterranean, which are already higher than last year.

Some 9,000 people made the perilous voyage in January and February last year, compared with nearly 13,500 in 2017.

However, the European Union is seeking for ways to cut immigration from the North African country to Europe.