UN deplores targeting of people on account of religious affiliation

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Monday condemned "in the strongest terms" the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya, and deplored "the targeting of people on account of their religious affiliation."

Those Egyptians were killed by Daesyh, the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levan, the secretary-general said in a statement issued here by his spokesman. "The secretary-general expresses his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives as a result of this barbaric act and to the Government of Egypt."

A video, released on Sunday evening, claimed to show the mass beheading of 21 Christians, kidnapped in Libya, reports said.

The five-minute video was filmed in a style similar to that of previous videos depicting the murders of Western prisoners by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, an armed group that overran large parts of Iraq and Syria last year, said the reports.

"The secretary-general reaffirms that the ongoing dialogue in Libya is the best chance to help the country overcome its current crisis," the statement said.

"Only through dialogue can Libyans build a state and institutions that are able to confront terrorism," it added.

On Sunday night, the UN Security Council strongly condemned the "heinous" murder of the 21 Egyptian Christians by the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Libya.

"This crime once again demonstrates the brutality of IS, which is responsible for thousands of crimes and abuses against people from all faiths, ethnicities and nationalities, and without regard to any basic value of humanity," said a press statement released here by the 15-nation council.

Meanwhile, the Security Council demanded the immediate, safe and unconditional release of all those who are kept hostage by IS, and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with al-Qaeda.

While asking all states to cooperate with Libya to bring perpetrators of these acts to justice, the council also urged all parties in Libya to engage constructively in efforts to continue an inclusive political process to address political and security challenges facing the country.

"Council members underscored that only through national unity and dialogue, with a view to finding a peaceful solution, can Libyans build their state and its institutions so as to defeat terrorism and prevent such grave crimes," said the statement.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) facilitated a new round of political dialogue in the Libyan town of Ghadames on Feb. 11.

UNSMIL reported that for the first time, all invited participants attended the talks, in what it called constructive and positive atmosphere, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "The participants called on all parties to work towards military de- escalation to allow the dialogue to proceed in a positive environment."

The previous two rounds of the UN-mediated Libya talks were hosted by the UN Office at Geneva.

The protracted conflict in Libya has caused a humanitarian crisis with at least 120,000 people forced to flee their homes, resulting in consequent shortages in both food and medical supplies along with mounting numbers of casualties.

A recent burst of violence has further rattled the war-weary country, in conflict since the beginning of its civil war in 2011, which resulted in the ouster of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

In the eastern city of Benghazi, a rise in violence has seen 450 people killed since October 2014 as residents continue to face shortages in medical care. Moreover, at least 15,000 families -- some 90,000 people -- have been displaced.

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