Libya: UN Envoy visits Tripoli for talks with senior government officials
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The top United Nations envoy to Libya made a one-day visit yesterday to the capital, Tripoli, and met top Government officials as part of the world body's ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis and end the fighting in the North African country.
Abdel Elah al-Khatib, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Libya, met with the Foreign Minister, the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General of the Libyan Public Congress and the pro-Qadhafi tribal forum.
"Their discussions focused on the need to fully implement Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973, to allow full humanitarian access, and to establish a ceasefire and political process," according to information released by a spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
"The Special Envoy's interlocutors said they were open and ready to fully engage and to cooperate with his efforts."
Mr. Ban also spoke by telephone today with the Prime Minister, Al Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi, about resolving the crisis.
Libya has been engulfed by fighting since a pro-democracy movement opposed to the regime of Muammar al-Qadhafi emerged in February following similar protests in Tunisia, Egypt and other countries across North Africa and the Middle East.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the fighting and hundreds of thousands of others have been internally displaced or forced to flee to neighbouring countries.
UN officials have warned of a humanitarian crisis in many towns and cities where the fighting has been heaviest.
