The leader of Libya’s internationally recognized government said that foreign backers have been arming strongman Khalifa Haftar since he launched an offensive to take the capital, Tripoli, and warned of a proxy war.
Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj declined to identify the countries, but states including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia have provided weapons in the past to the leader of the self-styled Libyan National Army, the country’s largest and most organized force.
The offensive, launched about two weeks ago, has stalled on Tripoli’s outskirts, and efforts to mediate a truce have been unsuccessful.
Sarraj has said that he will not negotiate before Haftar withdraws his forces, and that he is disappointed by the muted international reaction to the assault.
US President Donald Trump last week spoke to Haftar, recognizing his role in combating terrorism, as Washington and Russia stymied a UN Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire.
Analysts said that the language suggested a reversal by Washington, which had initially demanded the withdrawal of Haftar’s forces, but Sarraj said in an interview on Monday that the US administration informed him that it remains opposed to the assault.
Without a quick resolution, the conflict threatens to turn into a proxy war, pitting Haftar’s backers against countries such as Qatar and Turkey, who have supported Sarraj and allied militias in Misrata, about 190km east of Tripoli.
Libya, which is split between his Tripoli-based Government of National Accord and the rival administration in the east that backs Haftar, is under a UN arms embargo, and Sarraj said that he is frustrated over the militia commander’s alleged advantage.
“The aggressor party has open channels to import weapons and equipment and all types of technology, while the Government of National Accord cannot defend itself,” Sarraj said, referring to his own administration. “How do you expect the Government of National Accord to commit to this and not think of alternative options to defend itself?”
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese