Tripoli, 16 November 2013 - The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemns the violence which took place in Tripoli on Friday 15 November, resulting in the tragic loss of life among civilians, and calls for its immediate cessation as well as for supporting the efforts by the authorities to restore calm, stop the bloodshed and ensure security and stability for all Libyans.

While UNSMIL expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and wishes for the injured speedy recovery, the Mission urges Libyans to exercise maximum restraint and resort to peaceful means to resolve their differences.

The Mission affirms the right to peaceful protest and the right of people to express their views freely, stressing that attacks against civilians and endangering their lives are acts that are totally rejected.

UNSMIL reiterates the importance of the need for concerted efforts by all at this delicate stage of the democratic transition to create a conducive environment in order to focus on the priorities of State building which will ensure sustainable security and peace for all Libyans.