Fayez Al-Sarraj, the Head of the Libyan Presidential Council and prime minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Libya, has denied having any dialogue with Khalifa Haftar and said the battle to defend Tripoli will continue, reported The Libya Observer.
Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army launched a war to take control of Tripoli and overthrow the government in April. The fighting has killed over 1,100 people and displaced more than 100,000 civilians.
Al-Sarraj’s media office denied media reports that claimed the prime minister is ready to return to dialogue with Haftar and halt defending Tripoli against his forces.
“Al-Sarraj is convinced that the Libyan Army and the backup forces can defeat the attacking forces,” The media office added.
The prime minister’s office said Al-Sarraj would not sit down with anyone who committed massive violations of international laws and human rights. It added that the Presidential Council has complete faith in the significance of the initiative proposed by Al-Sarraj last June.
“The initiative says there could be a solution after a Libyan Gathering that brings together all Libyan parties who look for a peaceful and civilian state but not those who believe in military rule and dictatorship or those who have blood of Libyans on their hands,” the media office explained. “A roadmap can be achieved in the proposed Libyan Gathering that sets clear the constitutional basis for parliamentary and presidential elections.”
In related news, clashes between forces of Libya’s UN-backed government and Haftar’s LNA on Wednesday killed 13 people and injured dozens south of the capital Tripoli, military sources said on Thursday.
“Seven of our troops were killed in battles to control parts of southern Tripoli,” said Mustafa al-Mejii, spokesman of the UN-backed government’s forces.
The spokesman confirmed that the UN-backed GNA remained in their positions despite attacks of the eastern-based army in the area.
