Libyan government vows to pursue Haftar's foreign supporters at UN

Libya’s internationally recognised government has captured two towns near the Tunisian border and said that it would ask the UN Security Council to investigate foreign military support for Haftar.
2 min read
19 May, 2020
Libyan government fighters have been advancing against Haftar [Getty]
Forces loyal to the internationally recognised Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) on Tuesday captured two towns near Libya’s border with Tunisia from General Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled “Libyan National Army”, as officials vowed to investigate foreign military support for the rogue general at the United Nations.

The development came one day after GNA forces captured the Watiya airbase, a major operations hub for Haftar’s forces.

On Facebook, the GNA’s military media centre said that GNA forces had entered the towns of Badr and Taiji in the Western Mountains near the Tunisian border, and had been welcomed by residents.

The Libyan private TV channel Febrayer said that GNA forces entered Badr after Haftar’s forces fled the town.

A GNA military spokesman also said that government aircraft had carried out four air strikes against Haftar’s forces near Sirte, 450 kilometres east of the Libyan capital, destroying two armoured vehicles and two other vehicles carrying ammunition and fuel.

Libya’s interior minister, Fathi Bashagha, tweeted on Monday that Haftar’s chances of winning the Libyan conflict was “now effectively zero”, and called on the countries backing him to end their support.

Taher El-Sonni, the Libyan permanent representative to the United Nations, said that the GNA would ask the United Nations’ Security Council to consider Haftar’s ‘crimes’ as well as the weapons given to Haftar by foreign states which were found at the Watiya airbase.

A Libyan foreign ministry spokesman said that the weapons included a fully operational Russian missile defence system, evidence of which would be presented to the security council.

Libya is under an international arms embargo which has been frequently violated by foreign states, including the United Arab Emirates and Turkey - both of which support opposing sides of the conflict.

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