Italy told an emergency
meeting of the United Nations Security Council late Wednesday
that it was ready to play a "lead" role in finding a political
solution to end the chaos in Libya.
The meeting was called amid international concern about
advances made by jihadists linked to ISIS following the
beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya at the
weekend.
In a video of the murders, a jihadist warned ISIS was now
"south of Rome" and no longer isolated to the areas it controls
on Syria and Iraq.
Italy's permanent representative at the UN, Sebastiano
Cardi, told the Security Council that Italy was ready to help
watch over an eventual a ceasefire and train local armed forces
as part of of a UN-mandated mission.
The Italian government has been pressing hard for the
international community to take action to end the chaos that has
ensued in Libya since Muammar Gaddafi's regime was overthrown in
2011.
Italy's southern-most islands are only several hundred
kilometres from Libya.
At Wednesday's meeting, the governments of Libya and Egypt
both called for an end to the arms embargo that is in force to
help the fight against ISIS.
Two rival governments and parliaments - one in Tripoli,
the other in Tobruk, each backed by different militias - rule in
the eastern and western regions of Libya. A diplomatic solution
to the crisis could see those governments ending hostilities and
joining forces against ISIS without a military intervention by
foreign forces.
Egypt has attacked ISIS targets in Libya in response to
the beheadings.
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