UN mission condemns violence in Libya

UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations mission in Libya on Tuesday strongly condemned the recent violence in the North African country and called on the authorities to boost efforts to address ongoing security challenges.

"The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemns in the strongest terms the acts of violence that took place lately in a number of areas in Libya, including (the capital) Tripoli and Benghazi," Eduardo del Buey, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.

The latest violence, including several explosions in Benghazi over the weekend and a jailbreak in which some 1,200 prisoners escaped, is among several challenges facing Libya since the ousting of strongman Muammar al-Qadhafi two years ago.

"The Mission expresses its grave concern over the deteriorating security conditions and the growing acts of violence that have targeted political activists, judicial institutions, diplomatic missions, army and police personnel, State facilities and others," del Buey said.

"The Mission calls upon the State authorities to intensify their efforts to address the security challenges that Libya is facing," he said.

Meanwhile, UNSMIL also appealed to all Libyans, men and women, at this juncture in the history of their country, to unite in confronting the risks threatening their safety and security and the country's stability.

It reiterated the urgent need for inclusive national dialogue, and called on all segments of Libyan society to work toward convening such a dialogue at the earliest to develop a common vision and consensus about the current challenges and the way forward to address them.