Tripoli, Feb 12, 2020 – The United Nations condemned Wednesday the obstruction of its flights into conflict-hit Libya by forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar, warning of “severe consequences” to its humanitarian efforts. The UN “regrets that its regular flights, which transport its staff to and from Libya, are not granted permission by the LNA (Haftar’s self-proclaimed army) to land in Libya,” the UN mission in the country, UNSMIL, said in a statement. Mitiga airport, the only functioning airport in the capital Tripoli, has been regularly closed due to strikes blamed by the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) on pro-Haftar forces. Jean Alam, UNSMIL spokesman, told AFP that the agency was “not receiving security assurances from the LNA for landing of aircraft in western Libya”. Libya, Africa’s most oil-rich nation, has been mired in chaos since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 12, 2020 15:56 UTC