Tripoli: Eastern Libyan army commander Khalifa Hifter on Thursday ordered his forces to take over Tripoli, the capital of the UN-backed govt, amid reports of escalating political tension in Libya. An audio message posted on LNA’s Facebook page on Wednesday said Haftar, who commands the Libyan National Army (LNA) from its eastern base of Benghazi, earlier took over Gharyan, a town 100 kms south of Tripoli, Al Jazeera reported.
In the audio, Haftar described his forces’ move as a “victorious march” to “shake the lands under the feet of the unjust bunch.” “We are coming Tripoli, we are coming,” he said. In addition, Haftar also urged his forces to enter the city peacefully and only raise their weapons “in the face of those who seek injustice and prefer confrontation and fighting.”
He also urged his forces not to open fire on any civilians or those who are unarmed. “Those who lay down their weapons are safe, and those who raise the white banner are safe,” he said. The audio recording came during UN Secy-General Antonio Guterres’s visit to the war-torn country, where he said he was “totally committed” to backing a Libyan-led political process. Guterres’s visit comes amid talks aimed at drawing a roadmap for new elections in Libya.
Meanwhile, the UN has expressed “deep concern” over the military escalation in Libya. “I am deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation. There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems. I call for calm and restraint as I prepare to meet the Libyan leaders in the country,” Guterres tweeted.
