UNITED NATIONS, 01 September 2022, (TON): The UN political chief warned Tuesday that failure to resolve Libya’s political crisis and hold delayed elections poses a growing threat in the country, pointing to violent clashes a few days ago that killed at least 42 people and injured 159 others according to Libyan authorities.

Rosemary DiCarlo told the UN Security Council “the clashes between armed groups supporting rival claimants to be prime minister involved the indiscriminate use of medium and heavy weapons and also displaced 50 families, significantly damaged five health facilities, and affected two detention centers for migrants and refugees, involving a total of 560 people.”

Libya has plunged into chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.

The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah who led a transitional government to step down.