Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, who is leading a military offensive against the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, rejected a ceasefire requested by French President Emmanuel Macron during talks in Paris, an Elysee official said Wednesday. Haftar did not make a statement after meeting with Macron for over an hour, a visit that follows Haftar's surprise trip to Rome last week for talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Both Macron and Conte had already met recently with Sarraj, who has accused Paris of supporting Haftar and tacitly backing his assault on Tripoli, claims denied by French officials. The weeks of fighting have killed 510 people and wounded 2,467, according to the latest toll from the World Health Organization. More than 75,000 people have fled their homes, according to the United Nations, while 100,000 are trapped by the conflict.

Source: Libya Today May 22, 2019 18:00 UTC