The UN and a wide range of international actors have been calling for calm and seeking to facilitate mediation, with PM Abdul Hameed Dabaiba holding a well-publicised meeting with several ambassadors presumably designed to show he still has international backing.
Several European diplomats met with Presidential Council head Muhammed al-Menfi in the initial aftermath of the fighting to discuss the security situation in Tripoli and to urge the PC to play a mediating role in the conflict through a ceasefire. Special Representatives to the UN Secretary General (SRSG) Hanna Tetteh and her Deputy Stephanie Koury met with elders and community leaders from Tripoli and other western cities including Zintan, Zawiyya, Misrata, and Jadu to discuss ongoing mediation efforts. The need to resume dialogue for a political process was stressed throughout these meetings.
On 17 May, the UN Security Council (UNSC) issued a statement in which members expressed ‘their deep concern at the escalation of violence in Tripoli in recent days’. They called on all parties to protect civilians and for those responsible for attacks against civilians to be held accountable. They stressed the importance of urgent progress to deliver lasting peace, stability, and security for the Libyan people.
On 19 May, PM Dabaiba received the ambassadors of the European Union, Italy, the UK, Greece and the Deputy French Ambassador, with pictures of him shaking hands with the diplomats. Dabaiba stressed that his vision for Libya is based on ‘the abolition of all armed formations that are outside the institutions of the army and police, as a basic condition for building a stable civil state governed only through legitimate institutions.’ Dabaiba stressed the need to hold armed groups responsible for any crimes and abuses that they commit, calling for a stricter international stance in support of government efforts to combat them. The sides also discussed the joint cooperation files between Libya and the European Union, emphasizing the importance of resuming programs supporting stability, institutional development, and combating irregular immigration.