CAIRO, April 5 -- Secretary-General of the Arab League (AL) Ahmed Aboul-Gheit called Friday on all Libyan parties to practice self-restraint and immediately de-escalate the military situation in the western areas of the country.
In a statement, the AL chief also urged the Libyan parties to abide by the political path as the only solution to the Libyan crisis.
Aboul-Gheit said he is deeply concerned over the latest developments in Libya and the renewal of the armed clashes, at a time when the international community is mustering up efforts to encourage the Libyans to engage in a political process sponsored by the United Nations.
He also stressed that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis, "a matter that was reiterated during the 30th AL Summit that was held in Tunisia."
The military escalation comes as the country prepares to hold a UN-sponsored national conference that is expected to bring together many Libyan parties with a view to end the political crisis in the country.
Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.