'Worried' over conflict, Italian PM tells Libyan warlord

Rome, May 16 (IANS/AKI) Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte had a lengthy meeting with Libya's eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar on Thursday and told him of Italy's "concern" at the "extremely critical" situation in war-wracked Tripoli.

"We had a long meeting during the course of which I asked for an update and conveyed Italy's concern at the highly critical situation (in Libya).

"We urge a ceasefire and are confident that we can find the path to a political solution (of the conflict)," Conte told reporters after the meeting.

The fighting in Tripoli began when Haftar's militia began an assault on April 5 and met with resistance from forces loyal to the beleaguered UN-backed government. The warfare has killed at least 454 people, injured at least 2,154 and displaced some 60,000, the UN said in its most recent update six days ago.

 

--IANS/AKI

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