Italys prime minister has said any foreign military intervention in Libya would not resolve the latest conflict in its former colony, warning that it might trigger a refugee exodus across the Mediterranean.
Eastern-based Libyan forces led by Khalifa Haftar are advancing in a push to seize the capital, Tripoli, but troops loyal to Prime Minister Fayez al-Serrajs government have so far kept them at bay.
“A military option cannot be a solution,” Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told daily Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper in an interview published on Saturday.
He said talks involving all sides should be held in a bid to halt the fighting, which has driven at least 4,500 Tripoli residents from their homes.
READ ALSO: East Libyan warplanes hit Tripoli government positions
Italy, which is a big player in the oil sector in the troubled North African country, has supported al-Serrajs government.
Conte said any potential military intervention could push many Libyans to flee across the Mediterranean towards southern Europe. At the moment, Libya is mainly used a transit spot for migrants from Sub-Saharan countries.
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