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— Libya death toll rises to 205 as Tripoli fighting continues — WHO
TRIPOLI - The U.N.’s Libya envoy warned Thursday of “a widening conflagration” in the North African country, saying international divisions had encouraged strongman Khalifa Haftar to launch his assault on Tripoli.
Despite days of heaving fighting, Ghassan Salame told AFP there was a stalemate south of the capital between Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) and the internationally recognized government.
“After the very first successes of the Libyan National Army two weeks ago, we are witnessing a military deadlock,” he said.
Fighting broke out on April 4 when Haftar and his LNA, based in the country’s east, launched an offensive to take Tripoli, the western seat of the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
The GNA on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against Haftar for allegedly ordering deadly airstrikes against civilian areas, its press office said.
A spokesman for the GNA said it was seeking an international arrest warrant against Haftar for “war crimes,” as two U.N. experts were expected in Tripoli later Thursday to investigate the origin of rocket fire that killed six people the previous day.
Salame told AFP that “international divisions” prior to the assault on Tripoli had emboldened Haftar, who is backed by Russia and seen by his allies Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as a bulwark against Islamists.
“There are countries that have invested in Mr. Haftar as a champion of the fight against terrorism,” Salame said, without naming any countries.
“They will not drop him now even if they do not agree with his attack on Tripoli.”
Haftar’s offensive forced the U.N. to postpone a national conference that was to draw up a roadmap to elections in a bid to turn the page on years of turmoil since the 2011 ouster of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
“We worked for a whole year to prepare something that has no precedent,” he said, saying the plan had been to “bring the country out of chaos.
Instead, the political process was on hold and “these efforts are going up in smoke a little like the attic of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” he said.
The renewed fighting has killed at least 205 people and left more than 900 wounded, the World Health Organization said Thursday, while more than 25,000 have been displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Fighting continued Thursday on several fronts south of Tripoli, AFP journalists on the ground and security sources said.
With both sides dug in, Tripoli this week witnessed its heaviest fighting since Haftar launched his offensive, including what the UN described as “indiscriminate rocket fire on a high-density neighborhood” of Tripoli.
World powers have long been divided on how to stabilize Libya, wracked by violence since Gadhafi’s fall. Haftar’s offensive has again highlighted those divisions.
“There are interests in Libya. It’s a country rich in oil,” Salame said. This “makes companies — oil companies, construction companies, etc — salivate.
But he added that some countries had supported one camp or another for “reasons that are not necessarily economic.”
The U.N. Security Council has been split on how to address the latest crisis.
Negotiations this week on a draft resolution demanding a cease-fire in Tripoli have failed to yield agreement.
Germany, which holds the council presidency, called for an urgent meeting Thursday, when the council was to hear a briefing on the situation on the ground and “consult on the way forward,” according to a note seen by AFP.
Britain has put forward a draft resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire and de-escalation, but Russia objected to clauses that criticized Haftar’s offensive as a threat to Libya’s stability.
Britain put forward a slightly watered-down version on Wednesday but the three African countries on the council — Equatorial Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa — blocked it.
They have insisted on including a reference to an African Union statement on the need for all parties fighting in Tripoli to protect civilians, including migrants and refugees, according to documents seen by AFP.
Moscow said even the amended version was “still far away from accommodating our concerns,” according to a note from the Russian U.N. mission.
The revised text did not single out Haftar’s forces, but instead expressed “grave concern at military activity” near Tripoli, “including the launching of a military offensive by the LNA.
Britain had hoped to hold a vote before Friday, but that now looks unlikely. Diplomats said the United States appeared to be dragging its feet rather than pushing for a quick adoption of the draft resolution.
Libya death toll rises to 205 as Tripoli fighting continues — WHO
At least 205 people have been killed and 913 others wounded in the armed conflict between Haftar's Libyan National Army and the Libyan armed forces for the control of country's capital Tripoli.
The World Health Organisation in Libya wrote on their official Twitter handle, "Toll for armed conflict in #Tripoli is 205 dead and 913 wounded. Medical specialists that WHO #Libya deployed to support frontline hospitals are helping perform dozens of surgeries."
Libya has been largely divided into two factions ever since the death of Dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The LNA-backed parliament controlled the east of Libya, while the UN-backed interim Government of National Accord (GNA) governs Libya's western region from Tripoli.
Ministry of External Affair spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday tweeted two helpline numbers of Indian Embassy in Tripoli. Kumar added in his tweet that the Embassy will extend all possible assistance to Indian citizens.
The tweet read, "Update on Security Situation in Libya. Indian citizens are advised to observe extreme caution. Embassy will extend all possible assistance. Embassy Helpline: 00218 924201771"
The armed battle began on April 4 when Haftar announced an attack against Tripoli to capture the capital and the entire west of Libya from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Serraj.
In the latest sign that renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar’s campaign to overthrow the internationally recognized Libyan government is not heading toward an easy victory, armed forces on Thursday attacked an air base in southern Libya under the control of Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA).
After making large gains in the past weeks, Haftar’s push for Tripoli recently stalled, with the LNA failing to advance from positions at 7 miles from the center of the Libyan capital. According to new figures from the United Nations (UN), the recent fighting has already killed 205 people, including 18 civilians, while over 900 people have been injured.
Despite recent setbacks, Haftar seems unlikely to cave in to international calls for a ceasefire because countries like United Arab Emirates, Egypt and France believe he is the most suitable candidate for returning stability to the country for the first time since the overthrow of Gaddafi in 2011.
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— Libya death toll rises to 205 as Tripoli fighting continues — WHO
TRIPOLI - The U.N.’s Libya envoy warned Thursday of “a widening conflagration” in the North African country, saying international divisions had encouraged strongman Khalifa Haftar to launch his assault on Tripoli.
Despite days of heaving fighting, Ghassan Salame told AFP there was a stalemate south of the capital between Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) and the internationally recognized government.
“After the very first successes of the Libyan National Army two weeks ago, we are witnessing a military deadlock,” he said.
Fighting broke out on April 4 when Haftar and his LNA, based in the country’s east, launched an offensive to take Tripoli, the western seat of the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
The GNA on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against Haftar for allegedly ordering deadly airstrikes against civilian areas, its press office said.
A spokesman for the GNA said it was seeking an international arrest warrant against Haftar for “war crimes,” as two U.N. experts were expected in Tripoli later Thursday to investigate the origin of rocket fire that killed six people the previous day.
Salame told AFP that “international divisions” prior to the assault on Tripoli had emboldened Haftar, who is backed by Russia and seen by his allies Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as a bulwark against Islamists.
“There are countries that have invested in Mr. Haftar as a champion of the fight against terrorism,” Salame said, without naming any countries.
“They will not drop him now even if they do not agree with his attack on Tripoli.”
Haftar’s offensive forced the U.N. to postpone a national conference that was to draw up a roadmap to elections in a bid to turn the page on years of turmoil since the 2011 ouster of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
“We worked for a whole year to prepare something that has no precedent,” he said, saying the plan had been to “bring the country out of chaos.
Instead, the political process was on hold and “these efforts are going up in smoke a little like the attic of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” he said.
The renewed fighting has killed at least 205 people and left more than 900 wounded, the World Health Organization said Thursday, while more than 25,000 have been displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Fighting continued Thursday on several fronts south of Tripoli, AFP journalists on the ground and security sources said.
With both sides dug in, Tripoli this week witnessed its heaviest fighting since Haftar launched his offensive, including what the UN described as “indiscriminate rocket fire on a high-density neighborhood” of Tripoli.
World powers have long been divided on how to stabilize Libya, wracked by violence since Gadhafi’s fall. Haftar’s offensive has again highlighted those divisions.
“There are interests in Libya. It’s a country rich in oil,” Salame said. This “makes companies — oil companies, construction companies, etc — salivate.
But he added that some countries had supported one camp or another for “reasons that are not necessarily economic.”
The U.N. Security Council has been split on how to address the latest crisis.
Negotiations this week on a draft resolution demanding a cease-fire in Tripoli have failed to yield agreement.
Germany, which holds the council presidency, called for an urgent meeting Thursday, when the council was to hear a briefing on the situation on the ground and “consult on the way forward,” according to a note seen by AFP.
Britain has put forward a draft resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire and de-escalation, but Russia objected to clauses that criticized Haftar’s offensive as a threat to Libya’s stability.
Britain put forward a slightly watered-down version on Wednesday but the three African countries on the council — Equatorial Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa — blocked it.
They have insisted on including a reference to an African Union statement on the need for all parties fighting in Tripoli to protect civilians, including migrants and refugees, according to documents seen by AFP.
Moscow said even the amended version was “still far away from accommodating our concerns,” according to a note from the Russian U.N. mission.
The revised text did not single out Haftar’s forces, but instead expressed “grave concern at military activity” near Tripoli, “including the launching of a military offensive by the LNA.
Britain had hoped to hold a vote before Friday, but that now looks unlikely. Diplomats said the United States appeared to be dragging its feet rather than pushing for a quick adoption of the draft resolution.
Libya death toll rises to 205 as Tripoli fighting continues — WHO
At least 205 people have been killed and 913 others wounded in the armed conflict between Haftar's Libyan National Army and the Libyan armed forces for the control of country's capital Tripoli.
The World Health Organisation in Libya wrote on their official Twitter handle, "Toll for armed conflict in #Tripoli is 205 dead and 913 wounded. Medical specialists that WHO #Libya deployed to support frontline hospitals are helping perform dozens of surgeries."
Libya has been largely divided into two factions ever since the death of Dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The LNA-backed parliament controlled the east of Libya, while the UN-backed interim Government of National Accord (GNA) governs Libya's western region from Tripoli.
Ministry of External Affair spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday tweeted two helpline numbers of Indian Embassy in Tripoli. Kumar added in his tweet that the Embassy will extend all possible assistance to Indian citizens.
The tweet read, "Update on Security Situation in Libya. Indian citizens are advised to observe extreme caution. Embassy will extend all possible assistance. Embassy Helpline: 00218 924201771"
The armed battle began on April 4 when Haftar announced an attack against Tripoli to capture the capital and the entire west of Libya from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Serraj.
In the latest sign that renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar’s campaign to overthrow the internationally recognized Libyan government is not heading toward an easy victory, armed forces on Thursday attacked an air base in southern Libya under the control of Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA).
After making large gains in the past weeks, Haftar’s push for Tripoli recently stalled, with the LNA failing to advance from positions at 7 miles from the center of the Libyan capital. According to new figures from the United Nations (UN), the recent fighting has already killed 205 people, including 18 civilians, while over 900 people have been injured.
Despite recent setbacks, Haftar seems unlikely to cave in to international calls for a ceasefire because countries like United Arab Emirates, Egypt and France believe he is the most suitable candidate for returning stability to the country for the first time since the overthrow of Gaddafi in 2011.
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