In Libya, the violence escalates, the warlord Chalifa Haftar tries to take the capital Tripoli, there is a counter-offensive. On Friday evening, the UN Security Council had already asked Haftar to retreat. But a resolution calling for an end to the advance has now failed because of Russia's resistance. Moscow, like Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is behind the rogue General Haftar.
The formal text was submitted by Great Britain. In it, Haftar's units are requested to cease all military activity. All conflict parties are called for a de-escalation. According to diplomats, Moscow insisted that all conflict parties be called to an end to the fighting. The US rejected such a change to the text but from.
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Troops of the warlord Haftar
Like the UN on Friday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also called for an end to the offensive. He said on Sunday (local time) that the US was very worried about the fighting. All parties involved were responsible for urgently de-escalating the situation.
"This unilateral military action against Tripoli threatens civilians and undermines the prospects for a better future for all Libyans," said Pompeo. There is no military solution to the conflict. A political solution is the only way to unify the country. The US has just withdrawn its soldiers because of the escalation just temporarily out of the country.
Ministry: Eleven killed in clashes in Tripoli
Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) has been advancing to the capital Tripoli since Thursday, where the internationally recognized unity government of Prime Minister Fajes al-Sarradsch is based. It has long been competing with a second government in Eastern Libya, which is linked to the 75-year-old Haftar.
Already since the fall of the long-term ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011 achieved with Western help, Libya has been shaken by crises. For years, many militias in the North African state have been fighting for power and benefice. Several UNO mediators failed to find a solution.
Even now, the fighting for Tripoli continues, despite all the recent appeals. The government's Ministry of Health in the capital said late Sunday that eleven people were killed and 23 injured in clashes in southern Tripoli. Whether the victims were fighters or civilians, the ministry did not provide any information.
A spokesman for the UN mission in Libya also said Sunday that a United Nations call for a two-hour ceasefire had failed. "There has not been a truce," he said. "But we continue to hope for a positive response" from the conflicting parties. The UN called for the ceasefire so that the rescue services could bring injured and civilians to safety. According to a spokesman for the rescue workers, helpers have not been able to reach the combat zones.