Despite the mediation efforts of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in the Libya conflict have supplied Pro-government militias again engaged in heavy fighting with troops of the renegade General Khalifa Haftar. The fighting flared up, according to both sides on Friday after a short Pause, less than 50 kilometers from Tripoli. Guterres expressed after talks with Haftar and government officials “deeply troubled and with a heavy heart”. The Federal government warned of a military escalation.
Haftar had ordered his troops on Thursday in Tripoli to advance. Temporarily the advance seems to have stopped. A government militia from the town of Sawija had pushed back Haftars units in the night of Friday, after a “brief firefight” by an important control point to the West of Tripoli, was reported security sources in Tripoli.
The roadblock is just 27 kilometers from Tripoli, where the internationally recognized unit of government has its seat. The LNA units had guns on Thursday to the Checkpoint with a minimum of 15 Pickups with anti-aircraft and dozens of men in military uniforms.
UN Secretary-General, antónio Guterres, met on Friday in Benghazi, with Haftar to conversations. A representative of Haftars Libyan National army (LNA) confirmed the Meeting, but made no indications as to the content of the conversation. On Thursday, Guterres had already met in Tripoli with the head of government Fajes al-Sarradsch and other representatives of the Libyan unity government.
Despite recent developments, Guterres gave before his departure, the hope of a de-escalation, not quite. It is also possible, “to prevent a bloody confrontation in Tripoli and the surrounding area,” he said.
The UN security Council in New York should discuss on Friday behind closed doors about the situation in the North African crisis state.
Video 05.04.2019, 11:05 Uhr00:56 Min.Libya: the rise of the militia, apparently,
stopped by The Federal Foreign office in Berlin, expressed his “great concern” over the developments in Libya. Federal foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned on Twitter against “further military escalation”. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said in Berlin, Germany “calls on the authorities to stop military operations immediately.”
Russia warned of a “new bloodshed” in Libya. The Situation had to be resolved by “peaceful political means”, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. A military Intervention of Russia, he from the castle.
Previously, had already warned the USA, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates in front of a military escalation, and the consequences threatened. “Our governments are against any military action in Libya and any Libyan group be accountable, the other conflict causes,” it said in a joint statement
.
The Libyan General Khalifa HaftarFoto: dpa
Haftar is the strong man in the East of Libya, and supports with its troops there based counter-government to the Fajes al-Sarradsch-led unity government.
is Actually planned for mid-April in the Libyan oasis city of Gadames, a conference under the mediation of the UN, as a political solution for the crisis in the country. The Libyan Analyst Emad Badi said, with the advance of his troops Haftar wool and strengths, perhaps his negotiating position.
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EU cooperation with Libya, for How long?
Stephan-Andreas Casdorff
Since the fall of Libyan ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011, African country, Chaos reigns in the North. The government in Tripoli is weak and has large parts of the country under control. Numerous militias have spread in the country, and are allied in various ways with the unity government in Tripoli or the counter-government in the East. (AFP)
