The international community was allowing conflict in Libya to continue unabated, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told the United Nations General Assembly yesterday.
“We are fast witnessing a descent towards another forgotten conflict in Libya,” he said in New York.
Dr Muscat called on the UN to help the Libyan people take their country back by providing security and bringing back stability to the war-torn country.
Ultimately, disarmament and national reconciliation were the prerequisites for peace in Libya, Dr Muscat said.
Libya has been caught up in a struggle for power between different political and religious factions, which has led to fighting in several cities over the past two years.
The culture of hatred and intolerance, the self-righteous proclamations and the recriminations are leaving nothing but death and destruction
Dr Muscat said the international community could not risk a takeover of the country by extremists.
Dr Muscat also called for action to achieve peace in Syria and the Middle East.
He urged the Security Council to assume its responsibilities and take urgent action to bring an end to the “ghastly” Syrian bloodshed.
On the Middle East, Dr Muscat insisted the only solution could be an abandonment of the current “tit-for-tat” and the adoption of meaningful negotiations.
“The culture of hatred and intolerance, the self-righteous proclamations and the recriminations are leaving nothing but death and destruction,” he said.
Intolerance was not limited to the Middle East. Listing the challenges facing the international community, Dr Muscat raised concerns over the spread of intolerance and extremism.
“We are living in a period where disenchanted youths are radicalised into movements that know no limits,” he said, calling on states to look beyond their own borders and work together against the spread of intolerance.
The Prime Minister referred to the Mediterranean migration crisis and urged the UN to help stop the “great human tragedies” occurring as a result of the treacherous clandestine voyages from North Africa.
Just last week, he said, the UN’s human rights agency described the latest migration incident as “mass murder”.
Hundreds of migrants, including dozens of children, died during a crossing last week. Some reported that smugglers had rammed their boats and others had their hands chopped off as they hung on for dear life to the side of vessels.
Dr Muscat called for better enforcement mechanisms and stronger penalties to stop and punish human traffickers.