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Africa North
Libya's EU ambassador: Haftar's forces must return to previous positions to resume dialogue
2019-05-17
[Libya Observer] The Libyan ambassador to the European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
Hafid Gadour said political dialogue in Libya won't be resumed until Khalifa Haftar
...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the ibyan 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...
's forces pull out to their previous positions, urging for international guarantees for a truce in Libya.

Gadour told French TV, Euronews, that "as long as the attack is ongoing, we will defend ourselves and we are still willing to resume political process but the attacking forces must return home. The Government of National Accord is now defending 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...
and the political agreement."

He added that the guarantees given by the international community aren't that effective, saying they will ask for more as the international community has always said there can never be an attack on Tripoli, but it just happened 10 days before the UN-led Libyan National Conference.

"If there is a truce, then guarantees must be given by the UN, EU or any other high-profile power." Gadour said.

The UNSMIL called before for a humanitarian truce
..The purposes of a truce are twofold: 1.) bring up more arms, ammunition, and reinforcements; and 2.) get the enemy to relax his vigilance. A truce is not the same thing as a ceasefire, and a ceasefire doesn't mean you have to stop shooting...
that starts with Ramadan 01, but no party abided by it and La Belle France also called for an unconditional ceasefire, which was also rejected by the Presidential Council as it did not call for the return of Haftar's forces to their previous positions.

Tripoli has been under attack by Haftar's forces for 42 days amid clear retreat among the attacking forces and advance by the forces under the command of the Presidential Council's government, noting that Haftar's forces are still held back on the outskirts of Tripoli.
Posted by:Fred

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