After America and Russia ... Europe rejects Haftar's new "coup" in Libya

The European Union joined the United States and Russia in refusing to announce that retired Major General Khalifa Haftar had obtained a "popular mandate" that would allow him to lead Libya, a move the reconciliation government saw as a new coup.

International positions regarding developments in Libya were repeated after Haftar announced in a speech yesterday evening from his headquarters in Benghazi (eastern Libya) that he stopped work on the Skhirat political agreement and considered it "part of the past", and delegated the leadership of the country at this stage to the military establishment he heads, As he put it.

At a press conference in Brussels today, Tuesday, a European Commission spokesman described Hifter's decision to suspend the Skhirat agreement as unilateral and unacceptable.

The spokesman renewed the call for an immediate cease-fire in Libya, and a return to the negotiating table.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today that Russia does not agree to Haftar's move to impose its control on the country.

Lavrov was quoted by the "Interfax" news agency as saying that by announcing his country's position on this move, he is not talking about pressure force, adding that Russia is in contact with all players in the Libyan conflict without exception.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously said that the only possible settlement in Libya would be only through political and diplomatic means and with the participation of all parties to the conflict.

Earlier, Russia said it was "surprised" by Haftar's announcement, and confirmed by a source in its foreign ministry that it supports the comprehensive dialogue between the Libyan parties within the framework of the political process.

The United States had taken the initiative to announce its position on the new step that Haftar had taken, when it regretted the announcement that he had installed himself as governor of Libya and to drop the Skhirat Agreement.

The US embassy in Tripoli confirmed in a statement that the changes in the Libyan political structure cannot be imposed through a unilateral declaration, but in return it welcomed any opportunity to engage Haftar and all parties in a serious dialogue on how to resolve the crisis and make progress in the country.

New coup

The Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord had said that Haftar turned against the political bodies that supported him and appointed him.

The Council made an appeal to all members of the House of Representatives to join their colleagues in Tripoli, and to start a comprehensive dialogue to reach a permanent solution through the ballot box.

For his part, the Supreme Council of State in Libya (a representative advisory body in the capital, Tripoli) stressed the need to eliminate the military project led by Haftar.

The Council called - in a statement - the House of Representatives to meet in order to resume the process of political dialogue, with the need to adhere to the political agreement as a governing framework for the transitional period.

In turn, member of the Presidential Council of the Al-Wefaq government, Muhammad Amari Zayed, warned of an Emirati sabotage role that seeks to divide the country.

In the context of the internal reactions, Libya's delegate to the United Nations called on Tahir al-Sunni to follow the international community’s position regarding what he described as the fifth coup in the history of retired Major General Khalifa Haftar.

Hold off an attack

On the ground, the forces of the Libyan National Accord government announced today that they had repulsed a new attack by Khalifa Haftar's forces on the Buqrin area, located south of the city of Misurata (200 km east of the capital, Tripoli).

In a statement posted on its page on Facebook, the Al-Wefaq security and insurance operations room Sirte and Al-Jafra said that the attack took place in the Al-Loud axis, south of Bugrain (approximately 120 km south of Misurata), through two armored vehicles and a truck carrying the Grad missile platform and a number of infantrymen.

It added that its forces were able to repel the attack, destroy the two armored vehicles and the truck, and neutralize those inside.

In other field developments, drones belonging to al-Wefaq forces again bombed the "Al-Wattia" base southwest of Tripoli, killing seven militants loyal to Haftar, and two activists stood.

For its part, Haftar forces accused the Al-Wefaq forces of bombing catering trucks near the city of Mazda (184 km south of Tripoli), killing five civilians. The Al-Wefaq government forces had warned that they would target any trucks transporting ammunition or supplies to Haftar forces in the city of Tarhuna (80 km southeast of the capital).

And last night, Haftar forces shelled dozens of rockets in areas of the city of Maslata, which is adjacent to Tarhuna, according to Libyan military sources and activists.