Haftar, Libyan parliament speaker meet in Cairo
FILE- Libya's eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar attends General Security conference, in Benghazi, Libya, October 14, 2017. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-FetoriCAIRO - 5 May 2020: Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Aqeela Saleh and Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Hafter met on Friday afternoon in Cairo to discuss the blatant Turkish intervention in Libya, Libyan sources told Youm7.Turkey has been accused of sending thousands of Syrian mercenaries to Libya to support the Government of National Accord (GNA) and its leader Fayez Al Sarraj.The Libyan source added that Egypt is conducting diplomatic moves with a number of regional and international countries to remove the Syrian mercenaries and the withdrawal of Turkish presence from the Libyan territories.Haftar and his accompanying military delegation arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to meet with Egyptian officials to discuss other files of combating terrorism, illegal immigration and securing the borders.Haftar discussed with Egyptian officials the resumption of Geneva military talks between the Libyan warring parties in the form of the "5 + 5" meeting [5 senior military officers selected by the GNA and 5 selected by the LNA leader Khalifa Haftar].Haftar demanded Egypt's international support to stop the Turkish intervention in Libya, Al-Arabiya T.V. reported sources. Egypt affirmed its rejections of foreign interference in Libya and the need to dismantle the militias and stop supplying them with weapons, the sources said, noting that Cairo confirmed that it would not allow any threat to its western borders.
Source:Libya Today
June 05, 2020 20:37 UTC
The Tunisian rift: US’ gateway into Libya
On June 3, the Tunisian parliament in plenary rejected the declaration of the Free Destourian Party (PDL) declaring the Tunisian parliament to reject foreign intervention in Libya. “The latter (the Libyan issue) is one of Tunisians’ first concerns, because Tunisia and Libya are one people,” he said. Gannouchi, unlike Saied, favours a clearer and more active position in Libya, given Tunisia’s proximity, believing that passive neutrality with regard to Libya is meaningless. Shortly afterwards, Tunisian President Saied had already contacted Sarraj by phone. The army established its first SFAB in 2017 in order to free up brigade combat teams from training foreign military forces.
Source:Libya Today
June 05, 2020 16:40 UTC
The Early Edition: June 5, 2020
Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, with President Trump’s agreement, has “made the decision to return members of some of the active duty units in the capital region to their home base,” a senior defense official confirmed. If you have a pulse, I’m with you!” Demetri Sevastopulo, Katrina Manson and Patrick McGee report for the Financial Times. Social media giant Twitter yesterday disabled Trump’s video tribute to Floyd, after receiving copyright complaints. Russia’s Embassy in Syria said on Twitter late Wednesday that the latest bundle of planes was for the Syrian military.
Source:Libya Today
June 05, 2020 12:00 UTC
US Backs Greece in Dispute Over Turkey-Libya Maritime Deal
Additionally, Ankara does not recognize that islands have their own continental shelves and exclusive economic zones (EEZ). The State Department spokesperson responded by stressing that the illegal Memorandum of Understanding, from a legal point of view, affects the rights or obligations of third countries, such as Greece. We note that Greece also has maritime claims in the area mentioned in the memorandum of Turkey and Libya. “There is no doubt about the validity of the Law of the Sea for the islands. Article 121, which has the agreement of Contracting Member States and the European Union, clearly states the status of the islands.
Source:Libya Today
June 05, 2020 11:24 UTC
Civil war: Libya government says retakes Haftar's last redoubt in west
"Our heroic forces have extended their control over the whole of Tarhuna," said GNA spokesman Mohamad Gnounou. "Our heroic forces have full control of Greater Tripoli right up to the city limits," Gnounou had announced on Thursday. His forces control the whole of eastern Libya, with its economically vital oilfields and export infrastructure. But they have suffered a string of defeats in recent months at the hands of GNA forces, which have been bolstered by significant Turkish military support. Earlier this year, Haftar's forces already lost a string of towns along the Mediterranean coast between the capital and the Tunisian border.
Source:Libya Today
June 05, 2020 10:02 UTC
ECSS chief: Egypt able, ready to protect its national security
Libyan coastguards stand on an armoured boat as they patrol the sea off Libya's western coast. (AFP/File)CAIRO - 5 June 2020: Khaled Okasha, general director of the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies (ECSS), has stressed that Egypt is able to protect its national security.He told MENA on Thursday that the Turkish activities inside Libya promote the revival of Daesh and other terrorist organizations.He warned that the Turkish interference in Libya undermines the efforts exerted over the past years by the United Nations and the anti-Daesh international coalition to put an end to the control of terrorist groups over large areas in Syria and Iraq.Okasha said Egypt warns against such Turkish interference since the mobilization and training of thousands of militias and mercenaries from Syria to Libya will aggravate the lack of security and stability and promote division in the Arab country.He added that Egypt has explicitly announced its strict stance on rejecting this Turkish interference in Libya.
Source:Libya Today
June 05, 2020 09:56 UTC
The Daily Brief 2020-06-03
Categories covered in this brief: Iran, Gulf, Yemen, North-Africa, Syria, Middleeast, Palestine, World-News, TurkeyLet us know how you like this brief in the comments below. The spokesman for the Al-Wefaq government forces, Colonel Tayyar Muhammad Qanunu, said that his forces had completely captured the Tripoli International Airport. The reports said the Russian military was ultimately forced to turn around after a brief standoff with the U.S. troops. In a video recorded by locals in the Idlib Governorate, a Russian military convoy can be seen driving along the M-4 Highway when their vehicles are hit with rocks thrown from an overpass. The video showed several Russian military vehicles being hit by rocks, but no one was reportedly hurt as a result of these attacks.
Source:Libya Today
June 04, 2020 21:56 UTC
'I Fear Africa Will Suffer the Worst'
Even though Africa is at a less advanced stage, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus indicates Africa, in particular, may suffer direct effects of the disease itself and indirect impact on the economy. If the golden time for containing transmission is already past, as Ghebreyesus has stated, then I fear Africa will suffer the worst. Additionally, economic losses will decrease the capacity to acquire hospital equipment and PPE and to train healthcare workers. Beyond Africa's already poor healthcare situation, an unstable political situation, hunger, and violence make fighting this pandemic even more difficult. Sadly, things considered simple elsewhere are a struggle here in Ethiopia; we already have difficulty providing isolated home service and transportation for healthcare workers.
Source:Libya Today
June 04, 2020 19:30 UTC
Libyan Army says withdrawal from Tripoli due to resumption in peace talks
BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:10 P.M.) – The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, announced on Thursday, the withdrawal of its forces and their repositioning outside the capital, Tripoli, on the condition that the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord adheres to the ceasefire. The spokesperson for the Libyan Army, Major General Ahmed Al-Mismari, said in a press statement today:“Based on the approval of the General Command of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces to resume its participation in the Ceasefire 5 + 5 committee supervised by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya … the General Command declares that it is relocating its units outside Tripoli with the condition that the other side commit to stopping the violence.”He continued: “In case of non-compliance with this, the General Command will resume operations and suspend its participation in the 5 + 5 ceasefire committee.”Al-Mismari explained in his statement that “this step came to the success of the 5 + 5 Committee and its expected actions and in support of the political solution, as a political initiative and in response to the requests of many countries and organizations interested in the Libyan issue, and as a humanitarian initiative and our right to the blood of the Libyan people and the indiscriminate targeting of civilians in Tripoli by Al-Wefaq militias.”The Al-Wefaq government announced on Thursday, ts control over the entire administrative borders of the capital, Tripoli, including Tripoli International Airport. Advertisements
Source:Libya Today
June 04, 2020 19:18 UTC
French FM faces bumpy ride over Libya on first post-Covid visit to Italy
Jean-Yves Le Drian greeted his counterpart Luigi Di Maio in Rome with an elbow bump instead of a handshake, in a sign of the new post-Covid times. The foreign affairs minister embarked on his first post-Covid mission on Wednesday with that same message, and also one of solidarity. "In Rome with my counterpart Luigi Di Maio, to express France's solidarity with its Italian friends," he tweeted in reference to the country's high death-toll of coronavirus victims. But Foreign Minister Di Maio hit out at neighbours Switzerland and Austria for keeping their doors shut. The question of borders was on the agenda for Di Maio and Le Drian, as well as their own relationship.
Source:Libya Today
June 04, 2020 17:25 UTC
Turkey’s relation with Syrian proxies tainted by broken promises
Turkey had no difficulty recruiting those willing to go to Libya among the members of the so-called Syrian National Army. Sources among the militants later indicated that the real number was much higher.Early in May, opposition media outlets revealed that a total of seven units left Sultan Murad. These units comprise over 2,000 men – almost half of what Sultan Murad has. Made up of Syrian Turkmen, the group was in the vanguard of forces that participated in Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch and Peace Spring Turkish military operations in Northern Syria. Social media accounts of the Syrian National Army factions regularly post messages offering condolences to relatives and friends of the fighters declared martyrs for dying in battle in Syria.
Source:Libya Today
June 04, 2020 15:11 UTC
Turkey looks to lock in Libya gains as Erdogan hosts PM
ANKARA (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan will meet Libya’s internationally recognised leader in Turkey on Thursday as the allies seek to lock in battlefield gains, including recapturing Tripoli, before potential ceasefire talks. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Libya’s internationally recognised Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, June 4, 2020. A senior Turkish official said the recent gains by the GNA were critical, and that Turkey would reject any proposal to divide Libya between warring factions. Another Turkish official said the crisis reached a “critical period” and that Haftar recognised the need for talks. Turkey has said it could begin exploration and drilling in the eastern Mediterranean under the GNA deal within three or four months.
Source:Libya Today
June 04, 2020 15:11 UTC
Covid-19 confirmed cases in Libya approach 200
The Covid-19 cases in Libya have jumped to196, as the National Center for Disease Control reported late on Wednesday another 14 new cases after testing 612 samples. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country includes 139 active cases, 52 recoveries, and five fatalities, according to the National Centre for Disease Control update on Wednesday. Two of the 14 new cases were recorded in Tripoli, another two in Gharyan and one from Zintan city, while the other 11 cases were of people who traveled from Sabha to other cities, including eight of them to Gharyan, one in Sorman, and two others in Zliten. The National Center for Disease Control again urged citizens to abide by the precautionary guidelines implemented to reduce the transmission of the Coronavirus, including the curfews orders, home quarantine, social distancing, and to maintain personal hygiene sterilization and disinfection practice. The center also called on citizens in Sabha not to leave the city while the epidemiological surveillance teams are racing against time to control the situation in the city by carrying out more testing and tracing the contacts of the confirmed cases.
Source:Libya Observer
June 04, 2020 14:03 UTC
Pro-government troops claim they have lifted siege of Libya’s capital
Just hours earlier, late on Wednesday, the Tripoli-allied troops said they had retaken Tripoli International Airport, which fell to Mr Hifter’s forces last year. “The fall of Tripoli airport is a symbolic achievement for the GNA,” said Claudia Gazzini, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. However, Mr Hifter’s forces, supported by Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have responded with airstrikes. On Monday, the UN announced Mr Hifter’s forces and the Tripoli militias had agreed to resume ceasefire talks. The UN acting special representative Stephanie Williams held talks Wednesday with a delegation representing Mr Hifter’s forces to follow-up on the agreement.
Source:Libya Today
June 04, 2020 13:07 UTC
Tripoli-allied Libya forces take airport
Forces allied with the UN-supported government in Libya have captured a key airport in Tripoli from rival troops attempting to take control of the capital for over a year, a government forces spokesman says. Photos showing shelled Libyan commercial planes inside the airport were posted on the official Facebook page of the Tripoli-allied forces. Mohamed Gnono, spokesman for the Tripoli-allied forces, tweeted late Wednesday that troops had "liberated" the airport from the self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces led by Hifter. Today, we have fulfilled our pledge to liberate Tripoli airport," Colonel Salah al-Namroush, undersecretary of the Government of National Accord's Defence Ministry, said on Wednesday. Originally published as Tripoli-allied Libya forces take airport
Source:Libya Today
June 04, 2020 09:56 UTC