Trump and Macron express their concern "over the worsening of foreign interference" in Libya

U.S. President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation Wednesday in which they expressed "their concern over the worsening foreign interference" and agreed "on the urgent need for de-escalation," White House spokesman Judd Deere said on Twitter. During the meeting, Trump and Macron discussed progress in the reopening of the United States and France, as well as the world economies that have been affected by the measures implemented to reduce the impact of the coronavirus. The U.S. president has expressed his intention to convene a G7 summit as soon as possible. 

On this same social network, Trump announced that he would like to hold this meeting next month with the physical presence of all the leaders at Camp David. Throughout this telephone conversation, the two leaders also discussed important regional and bilateral issues. Macron, for his part, has assured that "he is willing to go to Camp David in June if health conditions allow it". 

Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar also acknowledged on Wednesday that his country's military intervention in Libya has brought about "a change in the country's balance". During the press conference, he also admitted that Ankara had given military support to the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, which has been recognised by the international community. "The balance has changed significantly after the Turkish Armed Forces began their training and advisory work," he said.

Authorities in the east led by Field Marshal Haftar have faced a number of challenges in recent days, including the loss of a major air base southwest of the capital. While Ankara recognizes its presence in the North African nation, the regime led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues with its strategy and sends a new contingent of at least 120 Syrian mercenaries to training camps located in southern Turkey, as indicated earlier this week by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 

After the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, chaos and insecurity have conquered every corner of this country. Libya is a nation divided between the areas controlled by the internationally recognised Government of National Accord, on the one hand, and the territory controlled by the authorities in the east, loyal to the Haftar militias, on the other. The Libyan National Army is supported by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, while Sarraj is backed by Turkey and Qatar. Turkey's presence in the region has intensified in recent months, with the arrival of at least 8,950 mercenaries, most of them of Syrian origin. 

The UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Libya, Stephanie Williams, has warned that the upsurge in fighting in Libya threatens to worsen an already volatile situation. "Just when we think we have hit rock bottom in Libya, we somehow manage to reach new dimensions of violence, helplessness and impunity," she lamented. The UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Libya, Stephanie Williams, has warned that the upsurge in fighting in Libya threatens to worsen an already volatile situation. "Just when we think we have hit rock bottom in Libya, we somehow manage to reach new dimensions of violence, helplessness and impunity," she lamented. 

"After looking at the carnage caused by almost 15 months of incessant violence in Libya, I think we have reached another turning point in the conflict," he said. The massive influx of weapons and mercenaries "leads us to conclude that this war will intensify and have devastating consequences for the Libyan people," he stressed, adding that as foreign intervention increases, the voice of the Libyans themselves is being pushed into the background. 

In this same official statement, Williams has denounced the constant selective attacks against civilians and infrastructure and the more than 850 violations of the cessation of hostilities agreement that have occurred in recent months. "While people around the world are adjusting to the new normality of living with a global pandemic, millions of Libyans - especially the more than two million residents of Tripoli - are living in terror, under almost constant bombardment, suffering frequent water and electricity cuts. In addition, their situation is aggravated by restrictions on movement as a result of COVID-19's preventive measures," he said. 

"Our mission remains to help Libyans rebuild a state strong enough to peacefully contain political differences," he said. That is why the United Nations aims to get Libyan political and military leaders to assume their responsibilities and commit to a definitive ceasefire. "We must allow the responsible Libyans to write their own future," she said before urging the Council to exert constant pressure on the regional and international actors that are fuelling the conflict. "We can collectively write a different ending to this sad story, but only if we demonstrate a collective will to do so,' she concluded.