In the civil war-torn country of Libya, troops of the powerful general Khalifa Haftar have advanced to within ten kilometers of the center of the capital, Tripoli. In the south of the metropolis, key positions have been conquered, including the decommissioned international airport and a military camp, as Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) said.
The oil-rich country in North Africa fell into chaos after the fall of ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011. Haftar is fighting against the United Nations government of Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli. Haftar’s LNA dominates large parts of the east and south of the country and started an offensive on Tripoli in April.
Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are among his side. Russia should also support him. After the announcement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to send troops to protect the unity government from al-Sarraj to Libya, a spokesman for this government spoke out against an intervention. “The central government has so far rejected foreign soldiers on Libyan soil,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Kablaui told The World (Saturday).
Instead, he called on Germany to continue its attempt to mediate in the civil war. “Germany is not part of the conflict and is relatively impartial,” he said. As an intermediary, it is more accepted than others. Berlin should also promote a common stance against Haftar within the EU. “We expect the federal government to speak with France in a strong voice and in a clear tone so that it can succeed in achieving a uniform EU policy and that Paris can stop supporting Haftar.”
At the end of November, Turkey and the government in Tripoli signed a security and military cooperation agreement. This allows Turkey to send military trainers and advisers, according to a report by the state news agency Anadolu. Erdogan wants to get permission to send soldiers from parliament in early January. Germany is currently trying to organize an international Libya conference in Berlin. The list of participants has not yet been determined. Erdogan recently left his participation open.
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