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Libya’s Haftar ruled out ceasefire in talks with France’s Macron
[ARABNEWS] Libyan eastern commander Khalifa Haftar ...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...told French President Emmanuel Macron that conditions for a cease-fire were not in place, although he would be ready to talk if those conditions were met, a French presidency official said. Macron and French officials have for several weeks called for an unconditional cease-fire in the battle for Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... . "The distrust we see between the Libyan actors is stronger than ever today," said a French presidential official after the meeting between Macron and Haftar in Gay Paree. "When the question of the cease-fire was put on the table, Haftar’s reaction to this was to ask "negotiate with whom for a cease-fire today?" the official said. He said Haftar considers his rival government in Tripoli "is completely infested by militias and it is not for him to negotiate with representatives of these militias." The official said Macron had asked Haftar to make a public step toward a cease-fire and Haftar responded by saying that an inclusive political dialogue was necessary and he would be ready for it if the conditions for a cease-fire were in place. However, women are made to be loved, not understood... the official said Haftar had given no indication as to when he would be ready for any potential talks. Haftar also said neither him nor his army were benefiting from oil sales in the east of the country, the official said. Posted by: Fred 2019-05-23 |
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