Tripoli, August 28 (RHC)-- The Libyan government is warning of a full-scale civil war unless heavily-armed militias are brought under control. Libya has been roiled by fighting among rival militias following the U.S.-backed ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
On Sunday, Islamist militias claimed control of the Libyan capital Tripoli after taking over the main airport. Yesterday, Libyan ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi told the UN Security Council his country risks descending into a "full-blown civil war if we’re not very careful."
Warning of a "mounting danger," the outgoing UN envoy to Libya, Tarek Mitri said more than 100,000 people have been displaced since the conflict escalated last month. Mitri said: "At present, the chaotic security situation and the very limited capacity of the government to counter the threat may well have created a fertile ground for a mounting danger in Libya and beyond."