UNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday welcomed positive responses from Libya’s warring parties to calls for a humanitarian pause in fighting to allow authorities to respond to the public health challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The U.N. chief “hopes that this will be translated into an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a civil war toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. In the chaos that followed the country was divided. A weak U.N.-recognized administration that holds the capital of Tripoli and parts of the country's west is backed by Turkey and to a lesser degree Qatar and Italy as well as local militias.

Source: International New York Times March 22, 2020 01:30 UTC