Libya: Fighting Continues, Despite Call for Health Truce

Text by: RFI Follow

The United States reiterated this Thursday the call made to the Libyans by eight countries. France, Germany, Italy, Britain and neighbors of Libya call for respecting the January 12 truce. "A humanitarian truce" is necessary "to fight against the coronavirus" insist these countries. But on the ground, nothing seems to stop the fighting at the moment.

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While the two authorities in Tripoli and Benghazi have stepped up measures to fight the coronavirus, they are still ignoring international calls for a humanitarian truce.

On the contrary, on the ground, the fighting south of Tripoli has intensified, each party accusing the other of wanting to take advantage of the situation imposed by the coronavirus to make progress.

On Wednesday, Khalifa Haftar's forces announced an advance on the flank of Ain Zara. But the forces loyal to the government of National Union immediately resumed their positions. The two parties accuse each other of violating the January 12 truce and give themselves the right to retaliate against heavy artillery. As a result, the fighting has intensified this week.

The coronavirus does not prevent the arrival of foreign mercenaries on Libyan soil either. The National Union government this week accused Marshal Khalifa Haftar of having recently introduced mercenaries and Syrian experts and other nationalities to Benghazi.

As for Khalifa Haftar, it is said that the number of Syrian mercenaries sent by Turkey to Libya now exceeds 6,000. The two parties call on the UN to take note of these violations of the arms embargo imposed on Libya .

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