After months of fighting for control of Tripoli, the situation in Libya is far from resolved. The strongman of Tripoli, head of a government known as of national understanding (GEN) Fayez al-Sarraj, signed the compromise for a truce Monday evening, in Moscow, after 7 hours of discussions. For his part, his opponent from eastern Libya, Khalifa Haftar left Russia, Tuesday, January 14, without initialing the draft cease-fire agreement.
Marshal Haftar had asked Monday evening for a period of reflection until Tuesday morning before signing the formal ceasefire agreement, but he finally left Moscow without signing the document. In the maneuver to try to find a way out of the chaos in which Libya is plunged since 2011, Moscow and Ankara had urged in recent days the two men to formally sign a truce.
For the moment, no reason is invoked to explain this departure. "He said absolutely nothing, he just left," said Elena Volochine, France 24 correspondent in Russia. "This departure can mean two things: either he will not sign this agreement, as claimed by a website close to the Libyan armies in the east; or Marshal returns to Libya to probe his camp."
This agreement is unconditional and unlimited, which would mean that if signed Marshal Haftar would have to renounce the conquest of the Libyan capital, which he launched last April by a military offensive. Since then, troops from both sides have clashed in deadly fighting at the gates of Tripoli.
With AFP and Reuters
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