WASHINGTON – U.S. officials said Saturday they are deeply concerned by the death and injury of many Libyans in recent clashes in Tripoli.
“We condemn the use of violence in all its forms and urge all sides to exercise restraint and restore calm,” State Department officials said in a news release.
“Libyans did not risk their lives in their 2011 revolution for this violence to continue. Libyans fought their revolution to establish a democratic system in which the voices of the Libyan people could be heard through peaceful means, which all Libyan people have a right to do.
“If a free people are going to succeed in forging a peaceful, secure, and prosperous country with a government based on the rule of law and respect for human rights, then there can be no place for this kind of violence in the new Libya.”
State Department officials said that the United States will continue to work with the Libyan authorities to build its capacity to deliver security and good governance to its people.
“We recognize that the Libyan authorities and Libyan people are facing significant challenges in their democratic transition, but too much blood has been spilled and too many lives sacrificed to go backwards. The United States will continue to support the Libyan people in this difficult time.”
