AU condemns continuous flow of illegal migrants to Libya

The African Union (AU) high-level committee on Libya has condemned the additional inflow of arms into the country.

The committee has wrapped up its 5th meeting at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, according to a statement from the pan-African bloc on Thursday.

Having noted that Libya has more than 20 million pieces of weapons and hardly needs anymore, the participants of the meeting has urged all regional and international actors to stop arms supply in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

They have further called upon international stakeholders to positively engage all concerned so as to support a political resolution in the country.

They have underscored the imperative that the assets of Libya remain frozen with a professional management in order to prevent their depreciation and eventual loss and guarantee the right of the Sate of Libya to this effect.

Libya has been embroiled in a civil war after the fall and death of longtime leader Muammer Gadhafi in 2011.

The meeting has expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Sabha, in southern Libya.

The participants of the meeting have reaffirmed full support for the unity of Libya and condemned any act that can lead to divisions based on ethnicity or tribal affiliations.

The participants noted with deep concern the proliferation of armed groups and criminal activities in the South of Libya.

They expressed the need for a tailored engagement strategy, including through convening of a meeting with key stakeholders in that region.

A tripartite task force of the AU, the European Union (EU), and the United Nations (UN) has been endeavoring to support stranded African migrants in Libya, while consolidating efforts to dismantle organized networks of human traffickers and migrant smugglers.