The troops of Renegade’s military commander Khalifa Haftar have rejected a ceasefire announcement by Libya’s internationally recognized government as a “marketing” stunt.
Ahmed Mismari, spokesman for Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), said on Sunday rival forces from the west of the war torn country mobilized around front lines in the center of the country.
In a media check, he said the armies in the east were ready to respond to any attempted attack on their positions around the coastal city of Sirte and Jufra, further inland.
Mismari’s remarks were the first by the LNA following Friday’s announcement of a ceasefire and a call for the restoration of oil production by the Tripoli – based Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.
“The initiative that al-Sarraj has signed for media marketing,” Mismari said. “There is a military build-up and the transfer of equipment to direct our forces into Sirte,” he added.
“If al-Sarraj wanted a ceasefire, he would have withdrawn his forces, not advanced to our units in Sirte.”
Mismari made no reference to a parallel ceasefire call that was also issued on Friday by the head of Libya’s East-based parliament, Aguila Saleh. Saleh has gained influence compared to Haftar since Turkish military support for the GNA forced the LNA to withdraw from a 14-month offensive on Tripoli in June.
Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina, reporting from Misrata, said: “Earlier, Haftar was a very important member in all negotiations than in peace talks in Libya and very involved in this kind of talks – and he now feels sidelined.”
Traina notes that this was not the first time Haftar had rejected a ceasefire agreement. In January, Turkey and Russia also sought to support a ceasefire signed by the GNA in Moscow, but not by Haftar.
“If the foreign supporters of Haftar stop supporting him, does that mean that the GNA is capable of making progress? Does this mean that Saleh and al-Sarraj are able to reach a peaceful agreement and a lasting peace in To reach Libya? Remains to be seen, “said Traina.
Meanwhile on Saturday, the Libyan High Council, an advisory body to the GNA, vehemently rejected any dialogue with Haftar.
In a statement, it stressed the need to work seriously towards the end of the “state of unrest” in the country through a direct ceasefire and the need to enable the government to take control of all Libyan soil.
“Any dialogue or agreement should be subject to the Libyan political agreement, which governs the mechanism of dialogue to exist only between elected bodies,” it added.
With Haftar loyalists blocking oil facilities in the country in recent months, the council also called for resuming oil production and exports – Libya’s main source of income – and holding them accountable for the closure of the facilities responsibly.
Libya splintered into rival political and armed groups after the 2011 uprising that killed and killed longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The oil-rich country remains deeply divided between factions based in the east and west that rival governments and parliaments.
The conflict has become an arena for regional rivalries, with Haftar backed by Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, and the GNA backed by Turkey and Qatar.
There has not been much fighting since June. In the past, both sides have accused each other of rapidly violating ceasefire and using them to make amends.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
.
