Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya’s UN-recognised government, has said that there is no chance of any negotiation talks with renegade commander Khalifa Haftar in the future after the crimes he had committed, reported The Libya Observer.
Libya is currently facing war between two rival administrations- the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) which is led by Sarraj, and the House of Representatives allied to Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). Haftar launched a military campaign in April 2019 to wrest control of Tripoli, but the forces loyal to the GNA has been successful in largely stalling the offensive.
In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Wednesday, Al-Sarraj said the GNA agreed the ceasefire and the humanitarian truce, but Haftar continued to attack Tripoli, residential zones, civil institutions and even the public hospital of Al Khadra, in the centre of the capital, with indiscriminate shelling and bombing.
He said while it was expected that the coronavirus pandemic would turn Haftar into a man of his word, Haftar went on to use the coronavirus as an opportunity to attack the government forces.
“I will never sit down with Haftar, after the disasters and the crimes he committed against all Libyans,” al-Sarraj said. “We have always tried to solve our disputes through a political process, but any agreement has been soon rejected by Haftar.”
Al-Sarraj added that his forces had launched a successful counter-offensive and has gained ground, up to the recent capture of the city of Sabrata, a key military base for Haftar’s army.
“We have become stronger, and we are moving with the right steps towards a fixed goal,” the GNA head told La Repubblica.
Earlier this week, the GNA said its troops seized control of three strategic coastal cities, including Sabrata, located between the capital, Tripoli, and the Tunisian border.
