Libya's renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar has ruled out a ceasefire, saying he wants to remove groups from the capital that "infested" the United Nations-backed government, a French presidential official has said. The LNA is now bogged down in southern suburbs by fighters loyal to Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj's Government of National Accord (GNA). 190521153432432President Emmanuel Macron and French officials have for weeks repeated their official support for the GNA and have called for an unconditional ceasefire. But some European countries, including France, have also supported Haftar as a way to fight the armed groups in the country. Both Macron and Conte had already met al-Sarraj, who has accused Paris of supporting Haftar and tacitly backing his assault on Tripoli, claims denied by French officials.

Source: Libya Today May 23, 2019 07:34 UTC