Libyan factions mobilising for war as peace talks falter

Libyan factions mobilising for war as peace talks falter
UN-brokered peace talks between representatives of Libya's rival parliaments are deadlocked, and the various factions are talking war, not peace as violence continues to tear the country apart
3 min read
19 April, 2015
The force of Libya Dawn are on alert in Tripoli [AFP]

Talks in Morocco between rival Libyan factions aimed at forming a unity government has not made any progress so far, with many differences remaining unresolved. 

Meanwhile the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries (SCBR) is preparing for a military operation to recover the areas which the forces of Khalifa Haftar, sworn in by the Libyan parliament as the commander in chief of the army in February, has gained control of in Benghazi.

An SCBR source disclosed to al-Araby al-Jadeed that their forces are preparing for what he called an "awakening within days" by readying a large operation to regain the areas which Haftar's forces seized in Benghazi.

The source indicated that the SCBR has called for public mobilisation. He noted that the operation comes after good consideration and preparation, during which ranks were closed again. It aims at dispersing Haftar's forces and cutting their access to supplies.

Forces loyal to the government in Tripoli "were able on Friday morning to drive back an attack by Haftar's battalion 101."
-Ala al-Hwaik

Within the operational context also, the spokesman for the Fajr Libya (Libyan Dawn) forces Ala al-Hwaik revealed that the forces loyal to the government in Tripoli "were able on Friday morning to drive back an attack by Haftar's battalion 101 on the anti-crime premises in the Tajura area, in an attempt to release a large number of hardened criminals from the Daman prison in the area."


Speaking to al-Araby, Hwaik explained that Haftar and his loyalists "are using the methods of the late colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi when both released 16,000 criminals from al-Jadida and other prisons after arming them to fend off the revolutionaries on 20 February 2011."


Hwaik noted that there are media outlets that support Haftar and his forces and spread rumours that the forces loyal to him, known as "Operation Karamah (Dignity)", are realizing gains and victories in Tripoli contrary to reality. He indicated that "all the civil intelligence units that report to the 'Fajr Libya' in the capital are on general alert, patrol all the streets of the capital and perform their assigned role to cut short whoever tampers with security."


At the same time a field commander of Fajr Libya in the Tajura area confirmed that its forces had captured Abdullah Sassi, the commander of the tanks battalion of Haftar's forces, which tried to seize control and break through the anti-crime premises.


These operational developments come at a time while many complications are surrounding the Libyan dialogue, which is hosted by the Moroccan Skhirat city.


The spokesman for the Parliament in Tobruk, Issa Abdul Qayyoum, rejected a proposal by the General National Congress for the creation of two legislative chambers to solve the crisis.


In statements to press on Friday, Abdul Qayyoum said: "It is difficult now to talk about power sharing at the legislative level in Libya". In his view, "it is not possible to talk about consensus on the legislative power because the world recognises the parliament and does not recognise any other," in reference to the Tobruk parliament.


The member of the dialogue team for the National Congress Mohammad Mezeb had earlier told the Anadolu Agency that the National Congress suggests two legislative chambers with different mandates to manage the transition period in Libya.


This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.