France seeks Libya ceasefire after migrant centre strike

Africans fleeing war elsewhere are caught up in the battle for Tripoli

epa07555412 French President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hand with the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya, Fayez al-Sarraj (R) prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 08 May 2019.  EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON
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French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged warring sides in Tripoli to stop fighting after an attack on a migrant detention centre the night before.

Mr Macron met the internationally recognised Libyan leader Fayez Al Sarraj in Paris as foreign powers called for an end to the battle.

The president's office said there was no military solution to the  conflict and that Mr Macron proposed a ceasefire line under international supervision at the meeting.

While he has backed a UN peace plan and elections, France has also previously supported eastern Libyan forces commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

Field Marshal Haftar supports a rival administration to that of Mr Al Sarraj, in the east of the country.

Forces allied to Mr Al Sarraj's Government of National Accord have been locked in battle with Field Marshal Haftar's Libyan National Army since it launched an offensive to take Tripoli on April 4, although the conflict eased during the day with the start of Ramadan.

After initial advances by the LNA, its rivals have launched a counter-offensive, leading to a stalemate.

Shrapnel hit the migrant detention centre on Tuesday night, causing shock and fear among sub-Saharan migrants caught up in the fighting.

"We have almost lost hope in our life," a migrant told Reuters. "War here is too much. Please, we need help."

No casualties were reported at the centre.

The almost five-week-old battle on the southern outskirts of Tripoli has killed at least 432 people, wounded 2,069 and displaced about 55,000, the UN said.