The United States on Thursday called for a UN-sponsored ceasefire in Libya, distancing itself from a proposal for a truce made by Egypt, Washington's ally. Cairo is one of the main supporters of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the strong man of eastern Libya who has lost ground in recent weeks against the unity government recognized by the United Nations and militarily supported by Turkey.
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The Egyptian authorities have proposed a truce providing for the departure of "foreign mercenaries" and the dismantling and disarmament of the militias. The Assistant Secretary of State for the Middle East, David Schenker, thanked Egypt for its "productive" proposal . "Having said that, we believe that the UN-sponsored process and the Berlin process are truly the most productive framework for negotiating and making progress towards a ceasefire ," he said. to journalists. Germany brought together key players in Berlin in January for a conference to end the civil war.
The Libyan union government and Turkey have expressed skepticism about the Egyptian initiative, seen as a way to save Marshal Haftar's time. In addition, the UN said it was "horrified" Thursday by reports of the discovery of mass graves in the areas evacuated by pro-Haftar forces. David Schenker spoke of "truly disturbing" reports , while warning that the government's advance towards Sirte, a strategic city heading east under the marshal's control, "could have serious humanitarian consequences". He urged all belligerents to "protect civilians". "We continue to call for de-escalation, a cease-fire, a return to political negotiations, " he added.