UNSMIL condemns shelling on Ain Zara in Tripoli
Libyan Cloud News Agency – Tunisia
The head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Stephanie Williams, has strongly condemned the repeated shelling on Ain Zara neighborhood in Tripoli, including the Al Rwemi prison.
The shelling resulted in a number of injuries among inmates, prisoners and judicial police officers.
Stephanie called in a statement for an immediate halt to the shelling on the prison and the area where the prison is located, to avoid mass casualties among prisoners and prison guards.
“Despite the calls by many UN Member States, UNSMIL and the Secretary-General for an immediate cessation of hostilities to enable joint approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic, armed clashes, shelling, and mobilization of forces in Libya continue, with unacceptable disregard for the safety and wellbeing of the civilian population,” she added.
She explained that UNSMIL documented more than 13 violations of the humanitarian pause in the past 48 hours, which resulted in the killing of at least three civilians and injuries to others.
Stephanie warned that the continuation of the fighting risks an undetected and out-of-control spread of the COVID-19.
She reiterated her call on all parties to the conflict in Libya to respect international human rights and humanitarian law, to abide by the commitments they have publicly made to halt all military operations, and to put the interests of their people and communities first, above any other considerations.
