Al-Wefaq government suspends its negotiations with Haftar due to his repeated violations

The internationally recognized Libyan National Accord government announced on Tuesday evening the suspension of its participation in the negotiations of the joint military committee between it and the forces of the retired Major General Khalifa Haftar, which is sponsored by the United Nations in Geneva, due to the violations of Haftar's forces to the truce concluded between the two parties.

Haftar forces yesterday bombarded the Tripoli sea port with several missile shells, targeting the port's facilities, installations and internal berth.

Pictures showed smoke rising from a ship anchored in the port of Tripoli. A source from the port said that tankers carrying fuel and gas were removed from the port as a precautionary measure.

This attack represents a new violation by Haftar forces to a fragile cease-fire, which has been in place since January 12 last, on the initiative of Turkey and Russia, and is a challenge to a resolution adopted by the UN Security Council last Wednesday, and calls for a commitment to the cease-fire.

In a statement, the government said that the military talks taking place in Geneva were suspended "until firm positions are taken by the aggressor and his violations."

Geneva hosts the "JMC 5 + 5" meetings, which include ten officers representing the parties to the conflict.

This committee is one of the fruits of the Berlin International Conference on January 19 to discuss ways to end the conflict in Libya. One of its tasks is to agree on the terms of a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of the forces of the two sides from some locations.

The Al-Wefaq government added in its statement that the aim of the "programmed" bombing of residential neighborhoods, the airport and the port, and the closure of oil sites "is to create crises for citizens in all walks of their lives" in order to "create a state of chaos that destroys stability after (Haftar) militarily failed to fulfill his dream of seizing power." ".

On Tuesday, Geneva was to host a second round of the "5 + 5" committee meeting aimed at finding a solution to the Libyan conflict.

The statement stressed that "without a permanent ceasefire that includes the return of the displaced, and ensuring the security of the capital and other cities from any threat, there is no point in any negotiations, so there is no peace under bombing."

The Libyan Foreign Ministry said that the government has repeatedly called for strict implementation of UN Security Council resolutions that have banned the illegal flow of arms into the country for years.

The ministry added that the proposed plan by the European Union to ban the flow of arms to Libya will fail in its current form, especially on the land and air borders in the eastern region.

She stressed that the internationally recognized government has the right to continue its open military alliances through legitimate channels.